^, 


^<.^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT.3) 


4h 


(./ 


^>. 


v. 


^ 


J/ 


4k^ 


7. 


V 


1.0 


I.I 


11.25 


■:ilM  125 

yo  "^  ■■a 

■^  U2  |22 

It. 


liO 


u 

hut. 


1.4 


1^ 
1.6 


."^.■v 

k' 

■> 


^'iV* 


'/ 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


ki  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WIBSTIR.N.Y.  MSIO 

(716)  •73-4S03 


iV 


;V 


a>^ 


:\ 


\ 


;\ 


'^ 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notat/Notet  tachniques  at  bibliographiquas 


Tha 
toti 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  tha  bast 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


□    Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


n 


n 


n 


n 


Couverture  endommagde 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  pelliculAe 


□    Cover  title  missing/ 
Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

□    Coloured  maps/ 
Cartes  giographiques  en  couleur 


Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
ere  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Plane 


iches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serree  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutias 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires: 


L'lnstitut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'i!  lui  a  iti  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
da  cat  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mAthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqu6s  ci-dessous. 


{~~|    Coloured  pages/ 


Pages  da  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagAes 


□    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  pelliculies 

n^l^Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
I I    Pages  d4color6es,  tachetdes  ou  piqu^es 

□Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachies 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  indgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materia 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppl^mentaire 


Tha 
poai 
of  tl 
film 


Orifl 

bagi 

tha 

aion 

othi 

firal 

aion 

orii 


I      I    Showthrough/ 

I      I    Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


D 
D 


Tha 

ahal 
TIN 
whi 

Mai 

diffi 
anti 
bag 
righ 
raqi 
mat 


Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'e  rata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  iti  filmdes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  d 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


Y 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


Th«  copy  filmed  h«r«  ha*  b««n  r«pro<luc«d  thanks 
to  tha  ganarosity  of: 

Univcriity  of  British  Columbia  Library 


L'axamplaira  film*  fut  raproduit  grica  i  la 
ginirositi  da: 

Univariity  of  Britiih  Columbia  Library 


Tha  imagat  appearing  hara  ara  tha  bast  quality 
possibia  considaring  tha  condition  and  lagibility 
of  tha  original  copy  and  in  kaaping  with  tha 
filming  contract  spacifications. 


Las  imagas  suivantas  ont  ttt  raproduitas  avac  la 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tanu  da  la  condition  at 
da  la  nattatA  da  l'axamplaira  film*,  at  an 
conformity  avac  las  conditions  du  contrat  da 
filmaga. 


Original  copias  in  printad  papar  covars  ara  filmad 
beginning  with  tha  front  covar  and  ending  on 
tha  last  page  with  a  printad  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  covar  when  appropriate.  All 
other  originel  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  pege  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrsted  impression. 


Les  exempleires  orlginaux  dent  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimis  sent  filriAs  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  piet  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  !«  cas.  Tous  les  sutres  exempleires 
oripinaux  sent  fiimAs  en  commenpant  par  la 
pramlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  emp-einte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  lest  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^»-  (meening  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  Y  (meaning  "END"). 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
derniire  imege  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUIVRE '.  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN '. 


Meps.  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  «re  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  meny  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  certes,  plenches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
filmAs  i  des  taux  de  reduction  difftrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichA,  II  est  film*  *  partir 
de  Tangle  supArlsur  gauche,  de  gauche  *  drolte. 
et  de  haut  an  has.  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  n*cessaire.  Les  diagrammas  suivants 
illustrent  la  m*thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


A    NARK  AIIVK   ()|.- 


Till'  VOYACI'  ()!•  Tllli  KITi: 


"lilt    nil! 


I'KARv  i:\i>i;i)rrio.\  to  north  r,i<i;i;xLA.\D. 


liV 


ROHKRT   X.   KIlIiLV.  Jk..  M  D 

SUKOHOK    I..   T„«    Kx...,.l.,OV  S.VI     ..V     .  „,<    A,,U„<MV   „.    N„,„,;   s.lK 
.■mil  NAM    liAi(\:    .M|.:m„,.:„  ,,r    I  ill'.  (;i..,,..,<Ari|. 
ICAL   Lmi   OF    l'llll.,M>l.:|.|.,|,x^    ,,T^    _ 


NCHS  TO 


AM) 


r..  G.  DAVIS.  A.  M.,  M.  !:>.   >[  ^  C  S 

M-«KH   ..K    .11,    AKC.I.K.......  A.    ASSOOATI...   ...   ru.    V.,lJ, 

I'liNNSVLVANIA,    ETC. 


SITY   OP 


W^//-//  .)/.//•  ..,A7)  //./.rv/A'.-,7-/.)A'.s-. 


EDWARD    STKRN    &    CO., 

J',  jj  ANLi  35  \.    Tim,,  stkkkt. 

1892. 


CoI'YHIOHTim.    l8y2, 

Hv  K.  N    KKKI.Y,  Jr.,  and  C.  G.  IMVIS. 


/J  9:1  a. 


blbctkotyikh  hy 

WHSTCOTT   k  THOMSIlS,    I'HILADA. 


PRINTBU   BV 
EDWARD  STERN   *   CO  ,  J'HILADA. 


PR H FACE 


THK  authors  have  requested  ine  to  write  a  preface  to 
their  story  of  the  AY/r's  voyage  to  the  far  North.  I 
have  jrladly  consented,  because  I  not  only  have  a  full 
knowledtj^e  of  the  voyaji;e  itself,  but  also  of  the  book,  the 
authors  of  which  have  been  my  intimate  friends  for 
many  years.  The  book  needs  no  apoloj^y.  At  a  time 
when  the  whole  country  is  interested  in  the  efforts  to 
rescue  the  little  band  of  daring  explorers  who  have  risked 
their  lives  in  the  cause  of  science,  everything  that  relates 
to  their  journey  possesses  value,  particularly  when  it  is 
told  by  one  familiar  with  the  members  and  with  the  cir- 
cumstances surrounding  their  journey  to  the  North.  The 
sentimental  interest  relating  to  their  fate  is  scarcely  less 
than  was  felt  concerning  that  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  In 
the  one  case  it  was  the  sympathy  for  a  devoted  wife 
which  caused  expedition  after  expedition  to  be  sent  out 
in  search  of  her  courageous  husband.  In  this  case 
another  devoted  wife  refused  to  leave  her  husband's 
side,  but  has  faced  the  terrors  of  an  Arctic  winter  with 
him,  and  it  is  to  rescue  and  relieve  her  that  the  sympathy 
of  the  people  has  been  awakened.  The  relief  expedi- 
tion has  the  prayers  of  a  nation  that  its  quest  may  be 
successful. 


/•A'/;/-,  ic/:. 


lint  the  present  book  has  an  interest  quite  its  own  in 
that  it  relates,  in  a  straightforward  wa\-,  exactly  what  was 
seen  and  heard  by  Dr.  Keely  on  his  voyage  to  the  North. 
and  which  was  rect)rded  with  fi<lelit\  in  a  diar\'  which  lu 
kept  from  day  to  day.  The  expedition,  of  which  Dr. 
Keely  and  my.self  had  the  honor  to  be  members,  had  ex- 
ceptional oi)portiniilies  to  .see  the  life  and  costumes  of  the 
natives  of  Northern  ( ireeuland.  Most  of  the  expeditions 
to  the  Arctic  rej^ions  have  been  in  haste  to  reach  the 
farthest  possible  north,  and  on  their  return  were  inter- 
ested only  in  reachinj;  civilization.  The  h'ifr,  however, 
steamed  leisurely  back,  stopping  wherever  points  of 
interest  existed,  thus  allowing  the  members  of  the  party 
to  become  fairly  familiar  with  the  natives  and  the  desolate 
country  which  they  inhabit.  Those  things  which  were 
of  special  interest  were  faithfully  recorded  in  Dr.  Keely's 
diary,  which  proved  the  basis  of  the  present  work. 

Although  this  was  his  first  voyage  to  the  Arctic  it 
gion.s.  Dr.  Keely  was  already  exi)erienced  in  travel  and 
with  meeting  strange  people.  He  had  visited  not  only 
most  of  the  countries  of  Kuroi)e,  but  also  many  of  the 
States  of  Central  and  South  America,  and  his  powers  of 
observation,  thus  quickened,  grasped  many  interesting 
things  which  would  have  escaped  one  less  familiar  with 
the  world  and  its  people. 

The  aid  which  he  received  from  Dr.  Crwilym  George 
Davis  was  invaluable.  Not  only  with  his  pencil  (for  the 
sketches  which  illustrate  the  work  were  made  by  him), 
but  also  with  his  pen,  he  has  devoted  himself,  with  mi- 
tiring  industry,  to  the  task  of  making  readable  and  valu- 


/'A7:7:ic/:. 


able  this  hook  of  Arctic  travel.  My  own  shart-  in  the 
work  has  been  confined  to  the  wriiinj^r  „m  ^,(  certain 
facts  and  incidents  of  which  I  had  special  knowled;^re. 
I  feel  that  I  have  little  claim  to  either  credit  or  thanks, 
hnt  am  prond  of  an  opportunity  to  have  my  name  con- 
nected with  a  work  which,  I  am  snre,  will  he  a  sonrcc 
of  pride  to  the  anthors  and  of  nsefnlness  to  the  oem-ral 
pid)lic. 

Dr.  Kcely  and  Dr.  Davis  have  asked  me  to  thank  par- 
ticularly Prof.  IJenj.  Sharp  for  the  nse  of  the  photographs 
from  which  most  of  the  plates  liave  been  made;  also 
Prof.  Jacob  F.  Holt  and  I'rof.  Anf^elo  Ileilprin,  for  the 
•same  conrtesy;  and  Jno.  J.  McKenna,  Kscj.,  of  Philadel- 
phia, for  several  acts  of  kindness. 

J""^-  '^'^''  \V.  H.  HtkK. 


fr'l 


CO  x\T  i:  \  TS. 


IXTRontCTIoN 


CIIAI'TI'R   I. 

TlIK    SrAKT-CAI'TAIN    PiKK.-Ol-K    v:in.:w.-THK    I.AND    ().• 
i:VANC.::i,rNK.-Al<HIVAI,  AT  SYDMCV.-CoAI.INd  VoH  rUK 


«5 


\Oyac.i-: 


CIIAI'TI'R    11. 

Ckossin-c,  thr  Gn.F  of  St.  Lawrkxci:.— Oru  First  Ici:.- 
Ax  Ahaxdoxkd  Hoat. -Ix  tiik  Midst  ok  tiii:  I-i.ok.— 

NKWIOrNDI.AXI)    I-ISUKKMKN.-Oi.-,.-    ,.oR    CaI'K    DksoI.A- 


•23 


TIOX 


CIIAPTlvR   HI. 
First  Sicht  of  Orkkxi.axd.-Ickhkrc.s.-Disko  Isi.axd.- 

ArrIVAL     at     GonilAVX.-VlSIT    OF    FSKI.MOS.-I)lNiN(; 


with  the;  Governok.— Xativj.;   Huts 


42 


CHAITFR   IV. 
A  Native  Daxck. -Polaris  Hi:xrick.-Rk,,„-,,.,x  of  the 

ESKIMO.S.  —  Mode    of    (ioVERX.MKXT.  —  Mo.syriTOES.— A 

Pllxge   IX   THE  Arctic  Oceax.-The   X.vtive  Afimc- 


TITE 


59 


lO 


coxrr.xrs. 

CIIAI'llvk    V. 


l',\Ki;\Vi;i,t,    T«)     (i«»Ii|I,\VN.      AUKIVAI,    AT    I'IM; KNAVIK.  —  No- 

TICK  TO  MakinI'Hs  in  Till';  Dams  Stkaits.  — Tim:  Si:t- 

TLKMKXT    AM)   ITS    IMIAIUTANTS.   -1)LC\    ISLANDS  .    .    . 


/.■> 


CHAITI-K    \I. 

Coi.i.Ai'SiNr.  oi'  AN  k'KiiiCKC..— In  tiik  Miuaimjc  Hay  I'ack. 

—  I'l.oi.s  AND  Pans.— Hittinc,  tiii-:  Ick.— Arctic  .Sport. 

—  I.IKLTKNANT  I'iCARY  URKAKS  MIS  IjvO 85 

CIIAITI-R  vir. 

An  Accidhnt  to  tin:  Ship. — Num'kd  :n  tiik  Ick.— Hi.ast- 
iNd.— \Vk  Kim,  a  Bkah.  — T.Mti.i-:  Ickhkrcs. — C.m'K 
York  Si(iirn:i).— Uriftino  with  tiik  1'ack 99 

CHAI'TI-R   VIII. 

Frkk  oxck  Mork.— Capk  Tarry  and  Whai.k  Sorxn.- An 
]-;sKiMo  Nil, i.Ac.i:.  — Tiik  Nativics.— Contrast  with 
Tin:  I'ricciANS.  — Kki.ics  i-ro.m  Kski.mo  (iR.wics  ...    114 

CHAI'TKR   IX. 
HkriuvRT  Island. —  Fo.\-trai>s.— a  C'.rkkn  .Spot  amonc. 

TIIK    Ol.ACIKRS.  — McCoRMICK    BAY.— ClIOOSINC.    A   .SiTK 

i*()R  Pkarys  Camp. — Bih.dinc.  tiik  Hoisk.— A  Cmmh 
TO  TIIK  Ick  Cap 127 


CHAPTER   X. 

A  School  ok  Whitk  Whalks  — Biddinc.  Good-hy  to  thk 
Pkary  Party.  — An  Arctic  .Storm.  — CiRowlkrs.— 
Saundkrs  Island.  — Soithward  Boind.  — Crimson 
Cliki's.— Ri:d  Snow.— Thk  Capk  York  Natiyks.— An 
ICsKiMo  Tailor 141 


co.v /■/■:. v/s 
cii.M'Ti'k  xr. 


1 1 


ARCTIC   Ci.oTiiiNC,.— A  Sr.i-.DCi.  KiMi;.— A\    Iniucnant  Ivs- 
KiMo  Laky,     'rm-:  .\\ti\i;   I)<m;.s.— Si,Ki«ii;.s i :;,, 

CIIAITI'R    XII. 
Rows   A\i»  Arrows. -Si'KAKS   a.\i>   Harpooxs. -IIintinc. 

TIIK   SlCAI.    and   WaI.RIS.— SCAKCnV    i>|-   \\()«)I..-Cllll,- 

nuK.N's  Toys.  — Mic Kiev  .\\i>   ms  I'  .•.- i:s 167 

CIIAITI'R    XIII. 
AscKsnixc,  THH  Ikon  MorNT.MNs.  -t  ,i<Rr:xr..\Ni>  r.i.AciKus. 

—  AC.AIX     ox     oiU     W.VV      IIoMi;.  — TlIKi.fCll    W.VIC.ATK 
ChAXXKI,.  —  A      C.I.ORIOtS      SrXSKT.  —  SKARCHIXC.      1-()K 

Coal  Dki'o.sits 


••>5 


CIIAITKR    XIV. 

At    (ioDHAVX    OXCK    MoRK.—  MKTIvORITF.S.— TUH     r.AXI)    OF 

I-)i:soi,ATi()x.  T.xKiNc,  ox  Mai.i.ast.— Ox  rm-  ()i>i:x 
Ska.— Xic.iiT  HiiciNs,— Oi-i-  tmi-;  Coa.st  oi-  I,.\1!k.\i)()I{. 
— Ai'i'RoAciiixc.  St.  Joiix's.— OiK  Rix  ki'tiox.— .V  Rk- 


viKw  OI-  Till':  Tuii' 


l.^S 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


»r>  -.  ^  PACK 

The   Midxicht  Sun ,     . 

r'aiitispiiw. 

Captain-  Richard  1»ikk 

An  Ahaxdonhi)  Boat 

CioniiAVN 

45 

IXSl'KCTOR'S    HOI-SK.    (lODHAVX.     .     . 

.1<> 

LlIAl'KL    AT    frODHAVN 

Native  Womkx  axd  Chikdrex,   C.odhavx 1^4 

Voixc.  KsKiMo  CiiRi.p  Axn  Native  Hit \i) 

vSTOREHorsE  Axn  (;roli>  ok  Natives,  (Iodhavn 57 

Hi.aizv  Dael,  or  Wixdv  Valley j^g 

Uperxavik 

,.  ,  11 

Kajak  Axn  Paodle ^ 

A  Kajaker.  Uperxavik o 

Dick   Islaxds  .... 

S^ 

Nest  of  the  Kider-di-ck ^ 

A   MiDxiGHT  Scene 

The  "Kite"  ix  Melville  Bav r 

Ix  Arctic  Attire  ... 

102 

The  Dead  Polar  Bear  .... 

*      '      * I*  *•> 

A   r.REAT    NoRTHERX    ICEIJERO ,,^ 

The  Native  Camp  at  Whale  vSoind ,,- 

KxiiE  WITH  Ivory  Blade  axd  Woodex  IIaxdle  ....    118 

Ivory  Pix  

118 

Eski.mo    Kxives    .   .    . 

120 

Lamp  made   of   vSoapstoxe  ... 

121 

Ax  Arctic  Belle  .   .  . 

122 


M 


//./.IS//x'.l//l).\S. 


I''SKIM()  Stonic  T)\VKI,I-IN«',S 12S 

I.IIUTKNANT     I'ICAKY'S    CamI'.     McCoKMICK     HaV I.Vl 

MoiNT  AINS    AM)   'rAltl.i;  l,ANI>    MACK    «)!•    I'KAKV'S   CaMI-  .     .  I.^H 

Cai'K    Nokk 150 

I'^SKiMo  Hun:".   Ni;i;i)i.k      15^ 

A  (iuoi  1'  r)i-  Cai'i:  \(ti<K   I'.SKi.Mos 155 

IvSKI.MO    HOV 161 

Sm;i«.I'; 165 


A  Hit  <>i'   CiKickm.ani)  Sci;ni;i<v.     Diskd   Island 


201 


I'A'.II 
I2S 

1 5" 

i.S.S 
iCi 

166 
.67 
I  OH 

170 

170 
171 
'7' 
(72 
172 

17  \ 

'75 
'75 
176 
17,S 

'79 
'7'> 
I  Ho 

iHr 

'«^ 
201 


.If/'   ^■' 

^K^      ,: 


f 


\o^ 


^i^. 


\ 


'.,vy<»'\ 


rifti 


0!wi:«1rh 


\ 


V 


^7 
I 

I 
I 

4- 


to 


■  Is 


INTRODLXTION. 


IX  iSS6,  Lieutenant  Robert  K.  Peary,  of  the  Knj^ineer- 
inj;  Department  of  the  United  States  Navy,  having; 
secnred  leave  of  absence,  took  passag^e  on  the  sti-^anier 
Falcon  from  St.  John's,  Newfonndland,  to  Disko,  in 
(Greenland.  The  Falcon  was  bound  on  a  whalinti^  trip 
to  Lancaster  Sound,  at  the  head  of  liaflfin  Hay,  but  her 
captain  aj^rced  to  put  the  lieutenant  ashore  at  Disko 
and  call  for  him  on  his  relurn  voyaj^e  in  the  fall.  Lieu- 
tenant Peary  desired  to  examine  the  unknown  interior 
ofCireeland,  and  took  this  means  of  reachinji^  his  destina- 
tion. In  due  time  he  landed  and  made  preparations  for 
his  journey.  With  only  a  sin<^le  companion — a  Dani.sh 
officer  who,  when  the  Eskimos  refused,  had  volunteered 
to  accompany  him — the  lieutenant  scaled  the  steep  cliffs 
which  everywhere  separate  the  known  from  the  unknown 
land  in  Greenland,  and  set  his  foot  on  the  mysterious 
ice  cap. 

All  Greenland,  as  far  as  it  has  been  explored,  with 
the  exception  of  a  strip  borderinj^  the  coast,  is  one  vast 
<i;lacier.  What  are  called  glaciers  on  its  .shores  are 
merely  tonc^ues  of  ice  pushed  out  into  the  ocean  by  the 
j^reat  weij^^ht  of  a  continent  of  ice  behind  it.  From  the 
extreme  north  to  Cape  Farewell  is  one  vast  sheet,  the 

15 


F 


^ 


i6 


ixTh'onrcno.v. 


l)r<)(liict  of  centuries  of  snow-stonns.  This  ice  sheet  is 
comparatively  level,  the  iucciualities  of  the  niouiitains 
and  valleys  beiii}^  almost  entirely  ol)literate(l  by  the  uni- 
form coatinjj  of  ice.  Only  the  gradnal  rise  of  the  land, 
from  the  level  of  the  sea  to  an  altitude  of  about  six  thon- 
sand  feet  in  the  interior,  is  preserved.  Here  and  there, 
in  the  interior,  inonntain-peaks  pnsh  their  way  thron^h 
the  enormous  blanket  of  snow  and  ice,  bnt  e.\ce])t  for 
these  landmarks  the  surface  is  an  almost  V'\-el  plain. 
Across  this  surface  Lieutenant  Peary  made  '  way  due 
east  for  about  one  hundred  miles.  The  journey,  thonjj^h 
made  under  ;;reat  difficulties,  was  without  dan<;er  or 
extraordinary  fati<;ue,  and  served  to  confirm  him  in  his 
belief  of  the  correctness  of  a  theory  which  he  had  formed. 
This  theory,  in  brief,  was  that  the  true  way  to  solve  the 
many  problems  which  (Greenland  offers  to  jjeoji^rapher??, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  reach  the  most  northern  point 
attainable  by  man,  was  to  journey  overland  on  its  frozen 
surface,  instead  of  attemptintj  to  work  one's  way  north- 
ward alono;  the  shores. 

It  was  several  years  after  this  first  exploration  that  an 
opportunity  offered  to  definitely  prove  his  theory.  In 
the  mean  time  Nansen  had  succeeded  in  crossinjj^  the  con- 
tinent from  east  to  west,  althoujjh  at  a  point  below  the 
Arctic  Circle.  The  report  of  the  condition  of  the  interior 
by  this  explorer  agreed  with  what  was  found  by  Peary. 
A  comparatively  smooth  ice  cap  covered  the  entire 
breadth  of  Greenland,  at  least  at  that  point,  and  there 
was  every  reason  to  suppose  that  the  same  condition  pre- 
vailed still  farther  north. 


/.V  //y'()/)fC/7(l.\' 


It    is  iKit   iicccssarv  to  detail  tlit-  iiiodificalions  which 
were  iiuuio  of  thf  uri;4iiial   plan  projected  1)\   LieiUenaiit 


ear\- 


Ili^ 


s  ami  was  to  attain  the  most  northern  point 


th 


\et  reached  1)\-  man.     This  was  S3     2.\'  north  latitude, 
and  was  made  by  Lockwood  and  lirainard  in  1SS2. 

To  do  so  he  required  several  things:  iMrst,  he  needed 
to  1)1-  landed  at  a  point  as  far  north  as  possible,  from 
which  an  expedition  could  start ;  then  he  iiinst  winter 
in  this  locality,  so  as  to  take  advantajije  of  the  earliest 
possible  opi)ortnnity  to  start  on  his  northward  journey: 
he  had  so  to  arraiit;e  matters  as  to  make  such  "caches" 
of  food  and  provisions  in  the  fall  of  the  year  as  would 
obviate  the  necessity  oi  carr\  in,!:,^  with  him  all  the  sup- 
plies that  mii^ht  be  necessary  lor  the  jouriiey;  finally,  he 
must  provide  some  means  of  retreat  to  a  cixilixed  settle- 
ment, whence  he  could  carry  back  his  ])arty,  toi^ether 
with   any  records  of  discoveries  that   he  mi<;lit  make. 

To  the  expedition  he  was  willinij^   to  contribute   his 


private 


fort 


une. 


but 


more  won 


Id  1 


)e  reciunec 


1.      I 


n  order 


to  prosecute  his  researches  he  needed,  besides,  the  ]Miblic 
sujiport  of  some  distinj^uished  institution  and  leave  of 
absence  from  the  .government. 

(iovernment  aid  was  out  of  the  (|uestion.  The  sad 
result  of  the  (ireely  expedition  had  been  too  recenlK'  an- 
nounced to  warrant  any  hope  of  help  from  that  (piarler. 
The  lieutenant,  after  several  rebuffs,  lectured  before  the 


American  Ocoirranhical   .Societ\-  of  Xew  York 


aiK 


1   tl 


le 


Academy  of  Natural  vScieiices  of  Philadel])liia.  He  en- 
listed the  sympathy  of  and  received  such  substantial  sup- 
])(nt  from   these  bodies  that  the  expedition   was  finally 


s8 


/x7/x'()/)rcy/()X. 


sent  iiiulcr  the  auspices  i,f  the  lasl-naiiied  institution. 
The  desired  le;ae  of  absence  was  obtaine<l,  and  friends 
of  the  lieutenant  and  the  Academy  provided  the  funds. 
It  wouUl  be  difficult,  if  not  altoi^a-ther  unuecessar>',  to 
explain  how  the  ori}jjinal  plan  of  lyieutcnant  Peary  to 
reach  his  desired  point  and  there  deposit  the  supplies  he 
would  need  was  modified.  ICveutu.ally  it  was  determined 
to  send  out  an  exi)lorin,i^  expeditit)n  by  the  Academy  of 
Natural  vScieiices.  This  expedition  was  to  charter  a 
shij),  carr\-  Lieutenant  I*ear\-,  his  part\-,  and  such  mate- 
rial as  he  deemed  necessary,  and  land  them  on  or  al)out 
the  shores  of  Whale  vSound  or  lufrlcfield  Gulf,  in  latitude 
y.S^  north,  and  there  leave  them.  ( )n  the  return  voyage 
the  Academy  part\',  accordinj^  as  Lime  and  opportunity 
permitted,  proposed  to  make  investi<jations  of  the  land 
and  its  natural  history,  and  brin^;  back  such  specimens 
and  information  as  mi<i^ht  be  of  value  to  the  Academy. 
The  su])plies  for  the  proposed  inland  journey  and  the 
means  of  returniuii;-  to  civilization  were  to  be  provided  by 
the  lyieutenant  himself.  These  included  a  supply  of 
provisions  .sufficient  to  last  his  party,  after  the  landinj; 
had  been  made,  for  at  least  eii^hteen  months,  exclusive 
of  the  fresh  meats  which  he  miy-ht  obtain  on  the  vovaire 
or  at  his  camp.  A  portion  of  the  ship's  supply  of  coal 
was  also  left  with  him,  and,  besides  this,  buildiufi^  mate- 
rial sufficient  to  construct  a  small  house  was  carried, 
together  with  two  large  whale-boats,  fitted  for  dragging 
over  the  ice,  rowing,  and  sailing,  in  whicli  the  retreat 
of  the  party  was  to  be  attempted  in  the  summer  of  1892. 
He  had  also  a  full  supply  of  scientific  instruments,  snow- 


'A 


'ji 


1- 

III 


I 


/.VVA'd/ )(■(■■/■/<  KV 


19 


shoc-s,  imj)kiiuiil>  Iit  Inmliii;^,  eU.,  an  '  warm  ilotlnii;;. 
lie-  had  li(t]»t(l  to  >)ii))tliimnl  liis  ^iipplits  hy  llu'  uhlaiii- 
\u'^  ol  I'iskiiMu  j^iiidfs,  doj^s,  ami  skdv^is  at  (indhavii. 
Ill  lliis  Ik-  \va>  disappoiiilfd,  a>.  wtii'  alxi  his  lApiiia- 
tioiis,  to  .soiiu-  c'xti  ut,  ill  thi-  Mipph  ol"  Itcsh  imat.  (  Uhir- 
wisc  all  that  lu'  dointl  was  lakiu  to  Mc'Coniiii'k  ISax  and 
k'ft  oil  its  >hous. 

TIk-  kackr  of  what  is  j^uiurally  known  as  the  I'larv 
lv\j>L'dilion  adopted  iht-  litk-  ol"  tlu'  North  (iic-tiiland 
J'.\])fdition  of  iS()i-(j2 


Tl 


!(.• 


it-adinn 


1  'i'^' 


tl 


K' re  foil', 


(listin|^MiislK-d  itstlf  as  the  West  ("iniiilaiid  Ivxpfditioii 
of  iN(ji.  I'olli  f.xpcditions  wire-  uiukr  tlif  t'oinniand  of 
I^icntfiianl  I'carx'  nnlil  he  left  tlu-  xosil.  Later,  the- 
West  (ireenland  Ivxpedition  was  in  charge  of  I'rokssor 
Anj^tlo   Ileilprin.      Tin-  personnel   was  as  follows: 


XoUTII    (ikl.I.M.AXI)    ICxi'liliirioN  Ol'    lStjl-92. 

Lieulcnant  R.  IC.  l'ear\,  the  coiiiniaiider  of  the  Xorth 
(ireenland  ICxpeditioii,  is  a  nati\e  of  l'enns\  Kania,  bnl 
has  hnv^  been  a  resident  of  the  State  of  Maine.  He  is 
ahont  forty  years  of  a.^a-,  and  spare  bnilt  but  hardy.  He 
occnpies  in  the  i^oxernnieiit  ser\iee  the  position  of  ei\il 
enj^ineer,  bein.t;  attached  to  the  Xa\\-  Department  with 
the  rank  of  lieutenant. 

His  wi*"e,  Mrs.  Josephine  Diebitsch  I'ear\\  was  a  resi- 
dent of  WashiiijL^ton,  I).  C,  and  is  .i  member  of  a  well- 
known  family  of  that  cit\-.  She  accompanied  her  hns- 
band  on  his  perilous  jonrncy,  and  has  remained  over 
winter  at  the  northern  headquarters.  vShe  is  probably 
the  first  white  woman  to  winter  in  such  a  hi'di  latitude. 


30 


/\  /k'()/>l\//(>\ 


Lani(<l()ii  f  iil)S()U,  of  l-Musliiii'L,'-,  Loii!^''  Island,  is  about 
twi'iitN-loiir  wars  of  a^v,  bciiijj^  tall  and  ninscnlar,  and 
aclrd  j^cniralK  as  LifUlfiianl   lVar\'s  chief  assistant. 

Ivi\ard  Aslrnp  is  a  Xorwt-.^ian,  and  had  only  lixt-d  in 
tiK'  rnilrd  Stall's  for  a  few  months  when  he  xolnnteered 
for  the  exjjedition.  He  is  skilled  in  the  nse  of  the  "ski," 
as  the  peenliar  snow-shoes  of  Norway  are  called. 

John  T.  \'erhoeff  is  a  native  of  I.onisville,  Kentncky, 
and  acts  as  the  niineraloi^ist  of  the  partx'. 

Dr.  \'.  A.  Cook  is  the  snri;e«-n  of  the  part)-,  ;ind  a 
•graduate  of  the  Colleijje  of  Physicians  and  vSnr^^i'ons  of 
Xew   York. 

Matthew  Ilenseri,  who  actt'd  as  Lientenant  Peary's 
servant  on  the  hitter's  trij)  across  Xicara<^ua,  acconi- 
])anie(l  him  to  the  North.  lie  is  an  active,  intelli.neiit 
younj^^  colored  man,  and  was  formerly  a  resident  of  Phila- 
delphia. 


\''\ 


Wi'.s'i'  ( ii<i;i',.\i..\\i)   I"'.\i'i:i)ri"i()\. 

Prof.  .\n<;ido  IIeilj)rin,  the  leader  of  the  West  (iri'en- 
land  ICxpedilion,  was  the  execntive  cnrator  of  the  .\cad- 
em\  ol  N,;tnral  vSciences.  A  native  of  .Vnstro-I  Iun,L;ary, 
hilt  loiii;-  a  resident  of  Phila(lel])hia,  his  reputation  as  a 
_o(.'olo!:;ist  is  world-wide.  He  is  the  author  of  numerous 
W(>rks  whic-h  are  acce])tt'd  as  standards  on  tlie  subjects  of 
o(.'o1()l;\-  and  i^t'Ueral  natural  hislorv. 

Professor  P.c'ujamin  .Sharp  accompauii'<l  the  expe(li- 
tion  as  zooloni^t  in  cliaru;!.';  he  is  tlie  correspondiuL,^ 
secretarv- of  the  Academy,  a  graduate  of  the  rniversilv 
of  Pennsx  hnni.i  and  of  W'urzburL;,  and  had  made  a  special 


/■\"/'AU  )/>!■(  //ox. 


21 


vSialio!!. 

I'lnfc-ss.-r  j.   ].•.   Iloh   is  ilK-   I'n.lVs,s.,r,.r  Xatural  Ili.- 

t.M-v;,n<lIIv,L;u-,u-atll,rCVnl,;,l    Ili.^llSdlonlnfPIlila.Kl- 
pliia.      Ilr  a(T(.in|K,iiic(i  tlu- rxpc-.liti.,,,  as  ils /....h.^isi. 

Dr.  Willian,  !•;.  H„^!,cs  was  tlu'  „n,it!,„ln^i.i?  Jj, 
wasl,krwisc.at;ra<l„atcM,r  the  ( -.livcrsilv  .,1  iVnnsvlva- 
'"•'>  ^"1(1  a  wdl-kn..\vn  ].rarliii,.,KT  ..f  nu-.liri„c.  of  I'hJla- 
(k'lpliia. 

Mr.  I.c-vi  W.  AFnioc.],  tlir  uilcnioloo  ist,  is  a  rcsi.lcnt 
of  Rra.lino,  iVunsvlvania,  and  is  uvll  known  asa  o.l- 
lector  of  k'jiidopifra. 

!>'••  Willian.  H.  Hnrk,  (h.  botanist,  was  a  o.a.lnaU- of 
tlu'  rn.vnsitv  of  iVnnsvlvania,  and  is  one  <.r  tl.e  asso- 
ciate- editors  of  tlu-   I'liikuldphia   /'///V/r  A,./;.,;, 

Mr.  .Mexander  C.  Kenealv,  a  son  of  tlie\xle1.rated 
"'^■'"''^■•-  "'  I'arlianient,  was  detailed  l.v  the  .\;,v  );.;/• 
//rrn/,/  f,  aeeon.panv  the  expedition  as  its  correspond- 
ent. 

Mr.    iM-azc-r    .\shhnrst   is  a  niend.er  of  a   well-kn-.wn' 

'''"'•■"'^■''•'''••'    '■'"'"■'-^-    ^>"'l    .-'ccon.panied     the    expedition 
llironji  a   love  of  advcntnre  and   travel. 
_     Hr.  RobutX.  Keelv,Jr.,  the  snr;,eon    to  the  cxpvdi- 
>■••••,  was  a. -radnate  of  the  Jefferson  Medical  CoJlce-  ,.f 

I'l"l:.delph,a,  an,!  had  had  an  extensiveexperiene-e  n,  the 
hospitals  of  I'aris. 

''''•^'  l»endKTS  of  the-  expe.Iition  were  co.nparat ivel v 
.v'>nnon,.n.  hut  all  ae-cnslonud  to  travel.  Thev  iornud 
a  most  congenial  con.panv,  an,!  lasting  friendships  were 
lornie'd  on  the-  lon^  \-o\a<'e'. 


r^" 


22 


/.\'/A'(>/)/(//().V. 


TIk"  t'xpt'dition  left  Hrooklyn,  X.  \'.,  on  Juik-  6tli,  on 
tlu-  Arctic  whaliuj;^  steamer  /\'///\  which  had  been  char- 
tered for  tile  ])ur|)ose  from  I'.owriii^  l>ros.  of  St.  John's, 
Xewfonndland,  hy  the  Academy  of  Natural  vSciences, 
with  a  crew  of  fifteen  men,  inclndinj^-  the  captain.  She 
retnrni'd  to  vSt.  John's  on  .Xn^tist  23d.  Th"  l'ear\-  j)arly 
had  bi'cn  landi-d  at  McCormick  l'a\",  in  latitude  77" 
4.;'  north,  and  the  mend)ers  of  the  West  (ireenland  I'a- 
pedition  returned  to   IMiiladelphia  1)\-  way  of  lialliniore. 

Durin^i;  tlu-  voya-^e  the  e.\pe<iition  had  rather  excep- 
tional -facilities  for  e.\aminin,q;  the  habits  and  customs  of 
the  natives,  especially  those  in  the  vicinit\'  of  Ca])e  N'ork. 
'rhe\-  bi'louL;  to  a  most  inleri'stini;-  race' and  the  facts  dis- 
co\ered  concerninjj;-  them  well  repaid  the  attention  thus 
devoted.  I<art;e  nnnd>ers  of  curiosities,  weapons,  do- 
mestic utensils,  and  to\s  were  hro- j^ht  hack  from  these 
distant  rei^^ions.  'IMie  di'scription  in  the  following;  pa.^es 
is,  therefore,  not  merely  a  narrati\-e  of  a  vovas^e,  hut  in- 
cludes also  some  account  of  the  natives  and  their  cus- 
toms. 


Ix  Arctic  Sr;As. 


CIIAl'TlvR    I. 

Tin;  STAin-.-  C  mtain  I'iki;.     (  x-r  Cnkw.     Tim:  ]..\su,,v  I^v  \n- 
«.i:i,iNi:.     Ai<Ki\Ai.  AT  .SvDNiiv,     C..Ai.i\(,  i'mr  tii;;  \  (,N 


A(,i;. 


\/\/''''  '^''■■'■'■'  "'^  '*"■  ^'"■'  •^'■^■^'^"  iv-i(«n^..  and   Ic.ki.,!  ,„„• 

*  ♦    lasl  c.n   Xcw   V,,rk   harbor  wliik"   (hr  crcwd    that 
al\va\s  assriiihlcs   on   a   wharf  on    such    occasions   ^avc 
hcar(\-  cliccrs,  and  countless  stcani-whistlcs  added  their 
noisv  farewells.      The  ship  that  was  to  carrv  us  thither 
was    the    A'//,;    an    Arctic    steam-whaler   and   sealer   (.f 
two  hundred  and  ei-hty  tons,  which,  thouuli  small,  was 
admirahlv    fitted    an<l   desi-ued    for   tin-    purpose.       She 
was  technically  known  as  a  harkentiue;  that   is  to  sav, 
carried   s(|uare  sails   on    her   foremast,    while   the   niain- 
and    mi/./.en-masts    were     "  ri-o^.d     i;,,^     .„„i     _.,,-^  m     -^^ 
schooner  fashion.      She   was  a  staunch   little  vessel,  and 
we  soon  learned  to  admire   her  seaworthiness  as   well   as 
lur   stren-th.      The   assistant   enoineer,    Mr.    McKinlev, 
showed   us,  soon  afte-  the  start  was   made,  how  lur  how,' 
lor  six  or  eioht  feet   hack  from  the  prow,  was  a  mass  of 
oak  ;    Ik.w    her   timhers,    enormous    for   the    size    of   tlie 
vessel,    were    holted    an<l    keyed    together;    how    the   en- 


84 


/.\'  .iA'(//c  .'</■:.  IS. 


}^n'in.'S,  lliou.i^li  siii;ill  ;m;l  c')iiij)ac't,  \\\w  fiill\  ronipctent 
lor  tlic  scT\it\'  11k-\-  \rv  to  itirfonii;  told  lis  li(.>\v  llu' 
])ro])flkr  svas  of  hcll-iiU'lal,  Ix-iii;;  (U't'plx-  snnki.-n  to 
:i\-oi(l  (laiii^i-T  iVoiii  lloaliii!^-  icr ;  and  (.Aplaiiic-d  oIIkt 
]ioiiits  a])oul  luT  that  \vf  ai)|)ix-cialc(l  uuich  more  full\- 
wiijii   llic  allack   on    llie-   icc'   l)(.'L;an. 


CAITAIN     KKII  \K1)    I'lKT. 


( )f  all  the  sliii)'s  conipa.iu-,  I  parliciilarl\-  admired 
Captain  Richard  Pike.  He  was  the  most  e.\))erieneed 
ice-sailor   on   Ixiaid.      I'esides   lia\in'>:   made   inan\-  \()\- 


^ 


v-^ 


'////■;  I  o) .!(,/:  (>/■■  I  III.  All/.: 


.-iL^cs  as  a  whaler  and  sc.ilcr,  lu^  had  ihc-  honor  to  Ik- 
master  ..f  tlu-  /WV,//.  whc-n  it  carried  the  nmortnnate 
C.rc'.Iy  c'X],c-dition  (o  its  winter  h..nK-  at  I'ort  Con^^er, 
in  iNSi,  and  had  al.o  carried  r.]*  the  ex,  edition  of  iLi- 
tenant  ( ;arlin,L;t..n,  which  attempted  to  relicNc  Creelv 
in    i^N^,  ill   tlic  same   \c.ssel. 

On   that  jonniey  the  /'n,/r/,s  was  crnslied   in   the  ice 
near  Cape  Sahine,  Jnlv   ,;,.   iSS^.      The  v.va-ers  never 
tired  of  havin-  the  (.Id  captain  tell  of  this  terrihie  adven- 
tnre,  nor  of  his  really  won.Jerfid    retreat   to   Cpernavik, 
travelling  six  lunnlred  miles,  in  open  whale-l,.,als,  across 
a   sea    fdled    with    iceher-s  and    lloe    ice.       It    was   often 
necessary,   he  said,  to   nnload   the   l.oals  and   dra-  them 
"verlon-  stretches  .,f  ron-h   ice   for  miles  to  rcudi   an- 
•'ther  lea<l,  'hen   transport  their  provisions,    and   lannch 
the  boats  a,i.,ain   in  the  tortnons  pas.a-es  of  the  Melville 
I'.av  pack.      This,  of  conrse,  was  a  severe  task,  an.l   t..o 
often  when  completed  wonld  be  h.nnd  of  little  advanta-e 
K.  their  in-oo-rcss.      lie  said   that  he  never  lost  heart  bnt 
once.     This  was  after  a  day  of  .scNcre  labor,  when  the  Inxits 
I>a<l  been  drawn   np  on  an  iceber-  and  thev  preparer!  to 
''camp,"  if  campin-  it  conid  be  called,  for  a  hard  storm 
of  sleet  and   hail   was   ranin-.,.  and    it  was   impossible   to 
l"'ild   any  fire.      As  thev  were  abont  to  lie  down  to  sleep 

«'n  the  ice  there  were  nnmistaka1)le  si-ns  of  the  collapse  of 
the  icel)ero:.  The  work  was  all  to  d,.  over  a-ain.  Thev 
ninst  load  and  lannch  the  boat,  and  pnll  off  in  the  stormv 
sea  for  a  .safer  restinu-place.  This  thev  fonnd  at  last  on 
an  ice-Hoe,  and  the  men,  worn  ont  in  their  lal)or,  threw 
themselves  d(.wn  with  .scarcely  any  preparation  and  went 


26 


/.\'  .lA'c/'/c  s/:.is. 


fast  asleep  at  otice.  He  himself,  he  added,  was  ''too 
tired  to  sleep,"  and  in  ntter  misery  and  despair  sat  np, 
thinkin,^  of  home  and  famih',  nntil  they  awoke. 

On  reachini^  Upernavik  they  were  well  treated  by 
the  Danes,  and  in  a  few  weeks  were  homeward  bonnd 
on  the  United  States  vS.  vS.  ]'a////(\  which  was  to  have 
accompanied  the  Proteus^  bnt  had  been  nnable  to  force 
its  way  throu<;h  Melville  Bay. 

Captain  Pike  was  a  typical  Xewfonndlander,  and 
tlion.t;h  nearly  sixty  years  of  a<^e  was  as  active  in  mind 
and  body  as  many  men  of  half  his  years.  His  face 
beamed  with  j^eniality  and  <;^ood  natnre,  and  thong^h  his 
whitened  hair  and  rn<^.t;ed  face  showed  marks  of  the 
hardshi[)s  he  had  experienced  as  a  whaler  and  sealer,  it 
was  yet  frank,  oi)en,  and  intellit^ent,  as  a  j^ood  old  sea- 
captain's  face  oni^ht  to  be.  All  of  ns  reposed  the  ntmost 
confidence  in  him,  his  directicMis  and  advice  bein,<>^  strict- 
ly obeyed  and  followed  withont  qnestion  bv  evervone, 
inchulinq:  Lientenant  Pear\'  himself  He  was  a  <''ood 
navi<^ator,  and  did  his  best  to  impart  some  of  his  know- 
ledt^e  to  "his  boys,"  as  he  affectionately  called  the 
yonn.y;er  members  of  the  expedition. 

It  was,  however,  for  his  friendliness  and  patience  that 
we  admired  him  most.  Always  genial  and  even-tem- 
pered, whether  the  ship  was  jammed  in  the  ice  in  ]\Iel- 
ville  Bay  or  tied  np  to  the  wharf  at  vSydney  or  vSt.  John's, 
whether  the  sea  was  smooth  or  rongh,  his  manner  toward 
ns  never  changed.  On  deck  he  was  the  experienced 
Arctic  seaman,  ever  watchfnl  for  danger,  yet  ever  scorn- 
ing peril  ;  between  decks  he  was  a  hearty,  whole-sonled 


////•;  ID): !(./■:  of  ////;  a/t/:. 


companion,  older  in  years  bnt  >onn<rer  in  spirit  than  any 

one  of  us. 

IvKvanl  Tracy,  tlic  chief  mate,  was  an  excellent  navi- 
,<,^alor,  with  laroe  experience  in  travel  in  ic>-  seas.  He 
was  exceedingly  watchfnl  and  attentive  to  his  duties,  Init 
nevertheless  found  time  to  instruct  and  entertain  us. 
Patrick  Dumphy,  who  acted  as  second  mate,  was  a 
sturdy  ice-pilot,  and  s'eered  the  ship  throu-h  the  narrow 
and  tortuous  passa-es  in  the  ice-pack  with  -reat  skill 
and  discretion. 

We  had  two  en-ineers,  William  Jardine  and  his  assist- 
ant, Alexander  McKinley.      Mr.  Jardine  was  a  man  of 
sui)erior  knowled,o;e  and  lari,re  experience.     At  first  he 
was  somewhat  reserved,  but  after  he  had  become  thor- 
onohlv    acquainted    with    us    showed    his    companiona- 
bility  as  well   as  the  force  of  his  intellect.      He  was  an 
excellent  mechanic,   as  was  also  his  assistant,   .Air.  Mc- 
Kinley,   who    likewise    was    whole-souled    and    ocuial. 
Their  ability  and   skill   are  shown   by  the  fact  that,  al- 
thou,o;h  the  en-ines  of  the  k'ifr  were  many  >ears  old,  and 
repeatedly  subjected,  in   the  course  of  the  vo>aoe,  to  the 
most  severe  strains  at   brief  intervals,    from   full   sjx-ed 
ahead  to  full  speed  astern,  the  entire  run  of  nu.re  than 
six   thousand   miles  was  made  with   onl>-  a  sin-le  stojv 
pa-e  for  repairs,  and  this  only  delayed  us  about  an  hour. 
It  was  to  their  watchful  care  alone  that  this  most  satis- 
factory result  was  due. 

A  full  list  of  the  crew  was  as  follows  :  Captain,  Rich- 
ard Pike;  chief  mate,  Kdward  Tracy;  second  mate,  Pat- 
rick Dumphy;  chief  engineer,  William  Jardine;  second 


n 


28 


/.\'  ./A'(7/C  s/:.is. 


c-n.^iiKxT,  Alcxaiitkr  McKiiik-\  ;  steward,  Lawrence 
Ilacl^fU;  assistant  steward,  I'atrick  \\\ls]i;  cix^k, 
'riiiiMias  I'tVITer;  SfaiiKU.  Tiniollu  '1\)()1r-\,  'IMiDiiias 
Collins,  John  Cununin^,  John  W'r^c-;  fircnKii,  Andrew 
Roost,  I'.dward  Crook.  John  Cnnnin^ham. 

The  \{)\a^e  from  Brooklyn  to  Xorlh  Sxdney  was  nn- 
exenlfnl.  Uucv  in  a  while  some  one  wonld  remind  ns 
that  the  land  we  saw  was  historic  or  romantic,  bnl  we 
wc-re  far  offshore,  and  e\en  the  reminder  of  the  fact  that 
we  were  passini^  the  home  of  Ivvangeline,  where, 

"  In  tlie  Aeadian  land,  on  tlie  short-  of  the  l)asin  of  Minas, 
Distant,  seclnded.  still,  the  little  villa;,,a-  of  (irand  Pre 
Lav  in  a  frnilful  vallev," 


Liiled  tt)  arouse  enthnsiasm. 

We  were  compelled  to  enter  either  vSt.  John's,  Xew- 
fonndland,  (jr  .Sydney,  on  Cape  lireton,  to  obtain  a  stt])i)ly 
of  coal.  The  hitter  port  was  selected,  for  several  reasons. 
There  is  a  small  amount  on  the  nurth.ern  side  of  Disko 
Island,  (ireeidand,  bnt  it  is  of  poor  (piality  and  shale\-, 
and  there  are  no  proper  means  of  obtainin<j^  it.  It  was 
of  course  i)referable  to  coal  at  as  far  northern  a  ])oint 
as  possible.  This  we  appreciated  more  fully  wdicu 
the  hold  and  even  the  betwcen-decks  of  the  A'//r 
were  filled  with  what  was  b\'  no  means  an  e.\tra\-a<;ant 
suppl\. 

As  the  harbor  of  vSydncy  wa.s  entered  we  had  our  fust 
chance  to  examine  closely  the  shores  of  a  strange  conntr\-. 
At  first  Hal  and  dtdl,  the  scencr\'  became  more  and  more 


////;  ro ).!(,/■:  o/-   ////:  a///-: 


29 


]iictnrfS(|iK'  as  wc  saik<l  uj)  tlu-  liaihor.  I'olli  sliorcs  arc 
Iii^li,  and  the  bells  uf  stratified  rocks  arc  clear  a\\{\  dis- 
tinct.     vSandstone,  liiiR'Stunc,  and  coal  alternate  in  loinj. 


near 


Iv  1 


lori/.ontal  Uuers  on  the  opjjosite  sides,  and  the 
orecn  snnnnits  are  further  enihellished  by  i)rett\-  little 
churches,  \vho>e  spires  formed  a  series  of  beacons  on  e\-er\ 
projectinjj^  clifT. 

The  town  of  vSydney  is  divided  by  Spanish  I'ay  into 
three  distinct  settlements,  Xortli  Sydney,  St)Uth  S\(lne\', 
and  vSydney  I>ar.  These  i)laccs  are  six  or  se\en  miles 
apart,  and  ha\e  distinct  local  j;o\ernments  and  post- 
offices,  but  arc  usually  classified  to,L;elher  as  vSydne\-. 
A  little  steamboat  plies  from  one  to  another  e\er\'  half 
hour  throu.^h  the  da\',  so  communication  is  easy. 

( )nr  ship  la\-  at  \'ictoria  Piers,  near  vSouth  vSydney, 
where  coal  is  easilv  secured  direct  from  the  mines.  Some 
of  our  party  went  to  vSouth  vSydney,  but  a  majority  took 
the  steamboat  for  Xorth  S\dne\-,  just  across  the  bay. 
Disappointed  at  not  iL:[ettin_i;  mail  at  the  post-office,  we 
wandered  through  the  town,  ])urchasin<4-  little  items  of 
supplies  which  had  been  forgotten  in  Xew  York.  .\ 
SaKation  Arnu'  meetino-  in  the  streets  attracted  us  some- 
what, but  otherwise  the  village  was  dull  and  uuinter- 
estitiir. 


The    next    daN-,    I-'ridav'.    was   eiitireh'    consumed    in 


filli 


\uis  the  coal 
in  tl 


-bunkers,  the  members  of  the  two  expedi- 

th 


tious  in  the  meantime  enjoying  themseUes  111  wirious 
directions.  vSome  visited  the  settlements,  while  others 
explored  tlie  natural  histor\-  in  the  vicinit}'  of  \'ictoria 
Piers. 


iii 


I 


3^^ 


/N  ARCTIC  SIIAS. 


In  tlie  afternoon  the  water  of  the  bay  looked  so  ])leas- 
ant  and  invitin,!;i[  and  the  snn  was  shinint;  so  l)riii,ditlv 
that  six  (}f  ns  took  a  ])hin!:i^e,  bnt,  as  nii.i^ht  have  been  ex- 
pected, the  water  was  fonnd  to  be  icy  cold,  and  a  very 
short  experience  satisfied  onr  longings. 


« 


11 


CHAPTKR    II, 


Ckossin-c,  thk  Cvi.v  or  St.  I..\\\|{i:nci;.--()ii<  1'ikst  Ki;,     .\n 

Al!.\.\l)().\i:i>     lidAT.  —  lN    Till-,     .MiDS'I    oi-    Till-    iM.oi;.       \i:\v- 

lor.NDi.ANi)  1'"isiii:k.mi:n.— oi).  yon  Capi;  Dksoi.ation. 

\/\7'^''  ^^^^  vSvdney  at  ^.^o  \:  m..  June  121I1,  tlic  iii-lit 
»  V  \}L-'uv^  clear  and  the  water  smooth.  Tlie  sliii)  was 
licavily  loaded  with  coal  at  Sydney,  ha\in,!L;-  taken  on  one 
hnndred  and  ei<^dity  tons  additional,  which  was  piU-d 
ever\  where.  The  hold  and  bunkers  were  fnll,  and  there 
was  also  a  lar^e  anionnt  on  deck,  altoocther  niakin,<4  tl'i'i-'t' 
hnndred  and  twenty  tons,  sufficient,  it  was  hoped,  to  take 
ns  np  to  the  far  Xoith  and  retnrn. 

Steaniin.<r  alon,i;-  the  east  coast  of  Cape  P.reton   Island, 
vSydney  liar1)or  was  left  behind  and  we  'passed  into  the 
(Inlf  of  St.  Lawrence.      The  only  thino-  we  saw  dnrini; 
the  day  was  an  American   fishinj^-schooner  which    was 
lyin.tj:  ^^  anchor.      Tliis  was  the  last  vessel  si.^hled  un- 
til   the  harbor  of  Cif)dhavn  in  Greenland  was  reached. 
Toward  evenin.!;:^  the  wind  and  waves  rose  and  the    ship 
pitched  and  rolled   heavily,  makin.q-  many  of  the  partv 
seasick  and  the  decks  wet  and  uncomfortable.     The  next 
day  the  weather  had  moderated  somewhat,  1)ut  the  water 
was  still  rouf^h. 

We  had  by  this  time  passed  the  entrance  of  the  Gulf 
of  St.  l^awrence  and  were  approachinc^  the  western  coast 


f 


HJi 


'  if 


A\'  .lA'L  //c  s/:.is. 


(»f  XcwfoundlaiKl.  As  wc  iicaixd  llic  land  tlu'  sliorc  was 
sriii  to  1)L'  iui^,^c(l  and  picturcsciuf,  with  patflifs  of 
Vfrduiv  C()iiiin<^f  to  the  watt-r's  vA'^ij.  Many  small  land- 
birds  came  al)()Ul  the  ship,  and  several  lijL;hled  on  it,  bnt 
onl\   remained  a  short  time  and  then  Hew  landward. 

All   that  (lav  we  sailed  alon'"-  the  Newfoundland  coast 


w 


ith     land    constantlv    in    sis-ht.       Xii-ht    comint/   on, 


bronjjjht  fo;jj  with  it.  This  was  so  dense  that  it  was 
necessar\  to  keep  the  foji^-whislle  l)lowin}j^  until  mornin*j^ 
in  (M'der  to  warn  any  possible  fisherman  that  ini.t;ht  be 
cruisin<;  in    the  vicinity. 

In  the  uu)rnin,i^  tlie  weather  was  still  foj^ji^y,  and  at 
about  7  t)'cl(jck  several  pieces  of  ice  a  few  feet  in  diam- 
eter were  seen  floatin*:^  past  the  ship.  This  caused  con- 
siderable excitement,  because  it  was  the  first  ice  seen 
and  was  slrouj^ly  su.i^j^estive  of  future  ic\'  e.\i)eriences. 
We  had  hoped  to  pass  throuj^h  the  vStr.iit  of  I'dle  Isle  and 
into  the  Xorth  Atlantic  unimpeded  by  ice,  because  of 
the  fa\'orable  reports  obtained  at  vS\dney  as  to  the  strait 
bein,ij^  well  open.  It  had  been  reported  as  navi,^able 
a  couple  of  weeks  before  ;  but  within  an  hour  after  see- 
ing the  first  small  ])iece  wc  ran  into  heavy  pack-ice — so 


liea\'\',  indeed,  that  w 


e  we 


n    unable  to  steam  tlirouuli  it. 


The   thickness  of  the   weather   prevented  any   sij^ht   of 
the  ice  beinsj;  obtained  before  it  had  barred  our  ])ro,<;ress. 


Thi> 


on 


r  first  view  of  what  is  known  as  fioe  ice,  was 


iii^hly  imi)ressive.  It  was  in  the  form  of  lar^-e  masses 
jammed  tii^htly  together,  movin.i^  uj)  and  down  with 
the  waves  and  ij^rindinj^  a<.;ainst  each  other  with  a  dull, 
ruuddin-'-,  mournful  sound,  resemblin'>- surf  breakimr  on 


/'///;  rowic/-:  <>/■•  ////;  a-/'//:. 


.\^ 


a  loiic'ly  short'.  The  si.i^hl  of  this  imiiR'iisc  aiiiouiit  »»f 
ice  so  soon  aflt-T  kaxiiii^  l\\v  <|uict  waters  of"  S><hK\  r>a\- 
afTeclcd  us  (jiiile  iiiarkedlx ,  and  j^axe  ti^  >oiiie  slij^hl  con- 
ception of  what  nii.i^ht  he  expected  A  f t  w  sea-iL^lllls  Hew 
ahonl  here  auvl  there,  conlrihnlin,;;  to  the  \veir(hiess  of 
the  scene.  To  add  to  the  j^hjoni,  there  was  seen,  some 
(hstance  aheach  an  abandoned  boat.  Whence  it  i-anie  no 
one  knew.  It  was  e\idcntly  a  fisherman's  \awl  which 
ha<l  been  cut  ihrons^h  by  the  ice  and  cast  a(hift.  It  was 
a  poor,  nseless  waif  in  a  se;i  of  desolation,  and  we  conUl 
not  but  experience  a  partl\'  sn))crstitions  feeling;'  as  we 
passed  it  by.      Was  it  a   s\in])()l   of  what   mi^ht  occur? 


"^A 


i';j 


■|  111    ,\i:amm)\i  I)  i;ci.\r. 


Wc  remembered  the  (h-eadfnl  tales  we  had  all  read  of  the 
fmal  outcome  of  so  nian\'  Arctic  expeditions,  and  thoujLilit 
of  the  numbers  of  faithful  men  who  had  lost  their  lives 
!)>■  such  an  accident  as  had  overtaken  this  boat.  Senti- 
ment, howe\cr,  had  but  little  enduring-  place  in  such  a 
])ractical  company.  We  steamed  as  near  as  ])(jssible  to 
the  castaway,  but,  nndin;^^  no  evidence  of  life,  left  it  to 
its  fate  and  a,<^ain  made  our  wa\-  toward  the  o])en  water 
that  skirted  tlie  ice-floe,  hoping;  b\-  so  doinj^  to  find  a 
clear  channel  which  would  enal^lc  us  to  pass  the  strait 
and  enier<>;e  on  the  open  sea. 

The  whole  day  was  spent  searching  in  vain  for  such 


! 


1 


'1 


34 


/.V  .IA'(/7C  s/:.is 


a  ciiaiiMc'l,  j^oiii;^  hark  ward  and  forward  iVoiii  our  side  of 
till'  strait  to  till-  other,  l)iit  iiothiii!:;  was  accoiMi)hshc<l  c\- 
ccpt  the  ohtaiiiiiii^  ol"  \iiws  of  iht-  1oik1\-  shons  of  I/d)ia- 
dor  and  Xcwfouiidlaiid.  (  )ik' cdiaiuu'I,  iiidii'd,  was  loiind 
which  apijfarcd  to  K-ad  to  oprii  walir  hiyond,  hut  allcr 
foHowiiiL;  it  a  coiipli'  of  iiiiU's  wi-  loup.l  otiisidxi's  a^ain 
hh)cki'd.  'V\\v  ice  (inii"kl\-  closed  in  htdiiiid  us,  and  we 
wvvc  unahU-  to  ad\auee,  our  retreat  was  cut  oil,  and  there 
was  hut  little  prospi'ct  ol  heiuj^  ahle  to  i'sca])e  Un  several 
<ia\s.  W'e  wen-  in  the  uanowest  part  of  tin-  .Slrail  of 
lUdle  Isle,  it  hi'in,L;  heri'  hut  nine  miles  wide,  and  at  this 
point  the  \vv  couiini;  from  llu-  noi th  hecouies  janinied 
and  inli'tleii'S  serionsK'  with  ua\-i^ation.  ( Jur  jouru(.'\- 
could  scarc(.'l\'  he  :^aid  to  hax'c  comnu'Ucx'd,  as  we  wire 
onl\-  in  the  I'^lilnde  of  S-  north,  while  our  ultimati 
destination  wa^;  in  the  ni-i,<jhhorhood  of  7.S".  \u  oiher 
words,  we  had  aei'omplislu'd  less  than  one-third  of  the 
dislanix-  wi'  had  di'si^uiMl  to  i^o,  and  this  tlu-  easii'st  por- 
tion of  the  journe\',  \v[  we  wiai'  appari'UtK'  compktelv 
M(»cka(K(l  and  with  no  \isihle  prospect  of  rek'ase.  At 
times  the  ice  would  open  a  little,  when  some  slight  ad- 
\anci'  would  he  made.  vSmall  clear  patidu-s  of  water  wi'ri' 
sci'U  hen- and  there,  and  on  thesi' were  numhiMS  of  ducks. 


Th 


(.•\-  wi-ri'  so  tame  and  unaccustomed 


to1 


)ciu<«-  niok'sted 


H 


as  to  allow  the  ship  to  approach  (piiti'  close.  \\\'  shot 
niauN',  and  found  tlu-m  a  desirahle  addition  to  our  ordi- 
nar\-  dii't. 

I/iti'r  in  the  dax-  tlu'  lo  ^  disappeared,  and  we  found 
ourselves  cdose  to  till'  Ni'wfoundland  shore.  Hire,  near 
Ihi'  edue  of  till'  water,  were  sei'U  siA'eral   sm.dl   houses  or 


////■;  I  (>) .  K,/:  ('/■■  ////.  A//A 


35 


lliits,  c\i(K'lit1v  tliosf  of  tlir  ii;iti\i'  XcwIouiidhiiKl  lislui- 
iiuii.  A  Ixtal  c'onl.ii  iiiii;,'  llmr  nun  put  oil  Ikhu  .sliou, 
ami  altri coiisid.-rahlv  I'Xittioii   in  woikiiisj    lliioiiijli    tlu 


\vv    suc-cTi'drd    ill     rniuiii''     alttli'-SKU'    tlu- 


AVA 


lu\ 


^tat^•d  that  inaii\   olllu'  piojik'  wvw  sit'k.  and   s<)\\\v   had 


dird.      'I' 


U'  disrasi'  appi'aird    to   hi.'    ipKU  iiiu-,  and    houi 


w 


hat   (.'oiild   1)1'   Kanud    iVoiii    lluin    wc    jnd,m'd   it    to  h 


anal()''<»us   to  that    known   to  us  as      iiilhu.n/.a 


u\ 


said  no  ship  had  ii'arlu'd  llu' siltlcnunt  lor  main  uioiilhs, 
and  that  tlu'\  WfH'  sadl\-  in  nci'd  ol  assistauci'.  Alter 
ha\  Iiiil;  a  loii;.;  talk  \vi'  ,i;a\(.-  tlu  ui  soiiu-  nii'diciius,  and  tlu\' 
kit  \t.'r\-  i^ratrfnl,  takiiin;  aloiii;  Uttias  tVoiM  scMial  of 
the  pail\-  to  mail  Iioiiu-,  as  a  shi|)  was  cxpicttd  to  call  in 
ahoiit  leu  da\s.  Tlusi'  lettiTs  were  ncniNed  all  lii^ht  1»\' 
llu'  parties  to  whom  the\'  wire  addiissid,  hut  oul\  allei 
a  loU<'  dela\,  lor  the  strait,  as  we  afterward  learned,  was 


closed  lor  iiiaiu'  wt'cks. 


Alter 


our  \isitors 


had 


departed  wt'  made  aiiollur  des- 


perati'  attempt  to  iL;i't  the  ship  through  llu'  ici',  hut    W(H' 
"id.       Ill  default  of  aii\  lllill'>  heltii   !o  do. 


a>>ain  uusiiccess 


w 


e  resoiti'd  to  lishiu"'  tlirou'  h  tlu'  fissures  or  Ka(i> 


ice,  and  succeided  in  catching  a  uumhei  of  laii^e  codfish, 
which  fuiuislu-d  a  line  mess   for  sui)i)i'i    and   suniilied    us 


with  pleut\   of 


food  for  the  uiorii  iw.      C\i]itaiii    I'iki- 


assured  us  that  we  would  ha\e  pleiit\  of  i^aiiu'  and  fresh 
uieal  on  reaching  ( Iniulaud,  which  of  course  was  \i'r\- 
eiicouia.niuL;  information.  The  meat  ohtaiucdat  ,S\diu\- 
was  Iiuul;  up  from  tlu- luoss-trces,  as  the  wi.ithcr  was  suf- 
!icieiitl\-  'oh!  to  pii'seiw  il  wilhout  re(|uiiiti^  toheslond 
in  an  ict-chesl. 


! 


f 


: 


] 


I 


36 


A\'     iA'C/VC  s/:.  IS. 


I 


1  , 


Havin.ij;^  found  it  impossible  to  proceed  onward,  the 
ship  was  fastened  to  a  hiri^e  floe  on  which  was  a  yood- 
sized  pinnacle,  for  the  purpose  of  securing;  enough  ice  to 
replenish  our  water-tanks.  The  sailors  were  some  time 
in  cuttin_n  and  storin_t;  lars^e  pieces  which  were  to  be 
melted  as  fresh  water  was  required.  While  they  were  at 
work  our  party  wandered  over  the  ice,  induls^in.t,^  in 
snow-ball inia;  one  another  and  takini^  photo<>;raphs. 
Several  gjood  pictures  were  obtained  of  the  vessel  a^: 
.seen  from  the  ice-floe,  and  on  our  return  to  the  ship  \( 
all  eujo\ed  a  j^ood  supper  of  fresh  codfish  and  potatoes. 
To  the  north  and  south  ice  was  seen  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach;  to  the  east  was  the  Xewfoundland  coast,  and 
on  the  west  were  the  bleak  shores  of  Labrador. 

Ni<j;ht  settin<;  in  found  us  still  fast  in  the  ice,  with  the 
weather  <;ettin<;-  colder,  and  we  were  jj^lad  to  seek  the 
comfortable  cabin  with  its  cheerful  coal  fire.  The  sound 
of  the  <j^rindin_i^  and  »^roaniu<^  ice  was  our  lullaby  that 
ni_^ht.  None  of  us  rei^^arded  our  positioji  as  serious;  in- 
deed, the  captain,  who  was  an  old  sail(».'  in  Arctic  seas, 
told  us  that  it  was  a  usual  lhin_ij  up  this  wa\-,  and  was 
owinj^  to  a  late  suunner.  We  were  all  satisfied  with  this 
explanation,  and  only  ea.y;er  to  esca])e  from  our  imprison- 
ment. On  one  of  the  two  followin_ii^  days,  while  still  in 
the  ice-pack,  some  of  the  ])arty  visited  a  lartj^e  iceberj^ 
about  four  miles  awa\-  from  the  vessel.  They  returned 
quite  tired  and  exhausted,  as  climbing  over  the  rough  ice 
was  no  easy  task.  They  had  remained  awa\' so  long  and 
the  weather  became  so  foggN'  that  the  ca])tain  grew  un- 
easv  as  to  their  abilit\-  to  find  the  wav  back.     Two  of  the 


rill-:  I'ov.n.E  ()/■'  I  HE  Km:. 


37 


111- 
as, 
vas 
lis 
ton- 
ill 

icd 


Xcwfoiiiulland  sailors  were  just  about  starting;  in  search 
of  tlieiii  when  they  were  discerned  approachin*;.  Mad 
the  foj^  been  a  little  (piicker  in  coinint>;  up,  they  would 
])robably  have  found  it  iinpossil)le  to  re<;ain  the  ship,  and 
would  have  had  to  remain  on  the  ice  all  iiij^ht.  This 
illustrates  one  of  the  difficulties  and  dangers  of  Arctic 
travellintj;-,  and  served  to  warn  tne  less  experienced  of  the 
risks  incurred  in  wanderin^tj;-  too  far  awa)-.  Later,  the 
weather  having  cleared,  it  was  found  possible  to  force 
the  ship  a  few  miles  further  throu<(h  the  pack,  and 
b\-  working  all  night  about  thirty  additional  miles  were 
made. 

At  this  season  of  the  year,  in  these  latitudes,  daylight 
begins  at  2.30  A.  .M.  and  lasts  until  9.30  i'.  ai.,  so  there 
was  much  more  time  to  see  to  navigate  tiie  ship  than 
when  farther  south. 

A  strong  wind  afterward  siiringing  up  from  the  south 
moved  the  ice,  and  the  ship  with  it,  in  the'  direction  we 
wished  to  go.  By  this  time  we  were  opposite  the  liglit- 
hou.se  on  Cape  Norman,  which  is  the  north-western 
extremity  of  Newfoundland.  Although  surrounded  l)y 
'ce,  and  the  temperature  at  40  degrees  Fahrenheit,  it  did 
not  .seem  at  all  cold,  and  we  were  able  to  be  out  on  deck 
in  our  shirt-sleeves,  with  mo  liea\-ier  clothing  (ju  than 
when  we  left  home.  This  feeling  of  warmth  was  attrib- 
uted to  the  reflection  of  the  sun  on  the  ice,  and  the  ex- 
planation was  made  to  aj^jiear  all  the  more  plausible  b\' 
our  getting  much  sunburnt  during  the  time  of  our  con- 
finement in  the  ice-floe.  vSoon  after  the  sun  went  down 
the  air  became  markedh'  colder  and  the  thermometer  de- 


»ij 


38 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


sceiuled  to  about  or  below  freczin<;-poiiit,  making  us  all 
appreciate  the  comfortable  quarters  below  decks. 

The  ice  now  became  more  broken  and  loose,  r.!id  at 
davlifjht  we  a<rain  endeavored  to  force  our  wav  throufTh 
the  floe.  A  strong  wind  from  the  south  having  come 
to  our  aid,  assisted  us  in  our  progress.  By  noon  we  had 
reached  the  southern  end  of  Belle  Isle.  The  light- 
house *  *'""  bluff  ran  up  the  British  flag,  which  courtesy 
was  retuii  Belle  Isle  is  situated  at  the  northern  end 

of  the  strait  bearing  the  same  name,  and  is  a  bold,  rocky 
island  one  mile  wide  and  nine  miles  long.  The  only 
buildings  on  it  are  two  lighthouses,  situated  one  at  each 
extremity,  north  and  south.  There  is  also  a  building 
near  the  .southern  light,  containing  supplies  to  be  used  in 
case  of  shipwreck.  The  light  on  the  upper  end  of  the 
island  is  the  most  northern  one  on  the  eastern  shores  of 
the  American  continent,  there  being  none  in  Greenland 
or  Labrador.  The  former  place  is  only  accessible  in  the 
summer  months,  and  is  situated  so  far  north  that  during 
that  season  there  is  continual  daylight,  and  thus  the 
necessity  for  a  lighthouse  does  not  exist. 

The  keepers  of  the  light  at  Belle  Isle  must  have 
looked  upon  us  as  the  harbingers  of  summer,  as  the 
captain  said  that  our  ship  was  undoubtedly  the  first  one 
the\-  had  seen  since  the  previous  year,  navigation  closing 
in  those  waters  early  in  November.  We  were  all  anxious 
to  ;o  ashore  to  leave  letters  for  any  passing  vessel  that 
might  call  and  take  them  on  their  way  south,  but  w^ere 
unable  to  venture  out  on  account  of  the  danger  of 
attempting  to  force  a  small  boat  through  the  loose  and 


I 


////■;  r()]:i(,/-:  or  riii-:  kiie. 


39 


'A 
m 


(lanq^eroits  ice  iiitcrvcniiij;^  l)ct\veeii  ourselves  and  tlie 
shore.  This  ended  our  hopes  of  sendinj^  any  further 
connnunications  home,  unless  we  happened  to  have  the 
fTOod  luck  to  encounter  a  ship  on  its  way  south. 

As  soon  as  the  strait  is  known  to  be  open  this  route  to 
the  river  and  ( lulf  of  vSt.  Lawrence  is  taken  by  merchant 
and  fishin<^  vessels,  because  it  is  the  shortest  between  the 
Old  World  and  the  New.  At  this  season  of  the  )ear  it  is 
f^enerally  avoided,  but  on  our  return  voyai^e  we  ])assed 
several  vessels  bound  to  the  strait  for  cargoes  of  cod- 
fish. These  are  cau.i^ht  and  dried  by  the  fishermen,  and 
afterward  shipped  to  points  in  the  West  Indies,  Central 
and  South  America,  and  Europe.  Early  in  the  season  it 
is  comparatively  rare  that  vessels  attempt  to  force  the 
dan.t>erous  passnges  of  the  Strait  of  lielle  Isle. 

There  was  a  possibility  of  our  meetini^  vessels  bound 
from  the  far  North,  but  this  was  extremely  improbable  at 
this  period  of  the  year.  Almost  the  only  ships  that  trav- 
erse what  is  known  as  the  (ireenland  vSea  arc  whalers 
on  their  way  home  late  in  the  season,  and,  farther  north, 
a  few  from  Denmark  to  their  colonies  in  (ireenland. 

Our  course  was  set  a  little  west  of  north,  headinj;  for 
Cape  Desolation,  which  is  somewhat  to  the  westward  of 
Cape  Farewell,  the  most  southern  extremity  of  (ireen- 
land. The  passa,y;e  across  Greenland  Sea  was  expected 
to  be  accomplished  in  from  six  to  eif^^ht  days,  provided 
no  detention  was  occasioned  by  the  ice,  which  mioht  be 
encountered  at  any  time,  and  the  winds  were  favorable. 
The  water  bein^:;-  clear  of  floe  ice,  we  steamed  at  about  ei^jht 
knots  an  hour,  haviu<r  the  wind  in  our  favor.     The  look- 


'1 


40 


IN  ARCTIC  SIIAS. 


out  was  stationed  at  his  post  in  the  bow,  watching  for 
iccber<;s.  Niglit  was  coming  on,  and  as  several  had 
been  seen  early  in  the  day,  we  feared  that  there  might 
be  others  in  our  path  The  night,  fortunately,  was  clear, 
and  the  moon  gave  plenty  of  light,  so  that  by  keeping  a 
sharp  watch  ahead  any  approaching  bergs  could  be  seen 
in  time  to  avoid  a  collision. 

With  early  dawn  came  a  north-west  wind  which  in- 
creased all  day,  until  b}-  nightfall  it  was  blowing  a  gale. 
Our  heavilv-laden  ship  was  still  deep  in  the  water,  not 
enough  of  the  coal  having  vet  been  used  to  lighten  it  to 
any  appreciable  extent.  The  large  amount  of  coal  on 
deck  rendered  the  ship  more  unwieldly  than  it  otherwise 
would  have  been,  and  it  pitched  and  tossed  frightfully 
in  the  large  waves  which  every  now  and  then  broke  over 
the  sides.  Everything  above  was  cold  and  wet,  and  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  stay  on  deck  with  any  degree 
of  comfort  or  even  safety.  INIany  were  again  taken  sea- 
sick, and  sought  their  bunks,  not,  however,  to  enjoy 
nnich  rest,  the  tossing  of  the  little  ship  fL-ndering  that 
imi)ossible. 

The  gale  kept  up  all  night,  and  Sunday  found  it 
more  violent  than  ever.  The  cook's  galley,  a  small 
house  on  deck,  was  nearly  washed  away  by  the  sea,  and 
so  danuiged  as  to  require  repairing  before  it  was  i)ossible 
to  obtain  any  cooked  food.  As  many  were  seasick,  we 
were  not  greatly  agitated  over  the  accident,  knowing 
that  we  would  not  want  an^'thing  from  that  quarter  for 
a  day  or  two.  The  gale,  after  continuing  about  three 
days,  at  last  began  to  subside.     It  was  remarkable  that 


■i' 


TlfK    WYACI-    OF   THE  KITE 

ill  these  hi.o;],  latitudes,  wlierc  one  would  expect  coii- 
timioiis  cold,  as  Ion-  as  the  sun  was  sliinino-  the  air  felt 
balmy.  To  be  sure,  tlie  sun  only  hid  himself  for  three 
Iiours,  and  a  few  da)  s  later  we  had  his  presence  all  nioht 
Until  II  o'clock  P.  M.  one  could  easily  read  ordinary 
print  on  deck,   exeii  at  this  early  stage  of  the  yoyac^e 


I 

lij 


1 

; 

.11 

\ 

'<  1 

'  W    i 

;■ 

i:-tr 


CHAPTER    III 


First    Sight    oi-    ("iKEicni.and. — Icki!i:rc-,s.— Disko  Island  — 
Arkivai,  at  (ionnAVN.— \'isit  or-  I'Iskhios.— Dixixc,  with 

THi;    (".OVERNOR.  — NaTIVK    IIl'TS. 

Ox  June  23d,  toward  evening,  we  caught  our  first 
sight  of  (ireenland.  The  land  was  many  miles 
away,  appearing  as  a  narrow,  dark  cloud  on  the  horizon. 
All  through  the  long  Arctic  twilight  we  steamed  toward 
it,  the  outline  becoming  more  irregular,  but  the  peaks 
still  seeming  as  far  off  as  ever.  What  we  saw  were  the 
mountain-tops  back  of  Cape  Desolation,  and  at  this  long 
distance  it  seemed  to  deserve  the  name  which  it  bore. 
Rugged  peaks,  overshadowed  by  a  cold,  dead  sky,  were 
all  that  we  culd  distinguish;  on  approaching  nearer, 
however,  we  had  our  first  glimpse  of  how  beautiful  an 
Arctic  scene  might  be.  A  vast  mass  of  icebergs  of 
fantastic  forms,  many  of  which  might  be  compared  to 
church-spires  or  ruined  castles  covered  with  snow,  were 
encountered.  Their  varied  forms  pleased  us,  and  we 
remained  on  deck  until  late  in  the  evening  admiring 
them;  but  the  most  beautiful  sight  was  one  that  pre- 
sented itself  later,  when  the  moon  rose  and  illumined 
with  her  silver  light  their  snow-clad  cliffs.  As  we  passed 
them  one  after  another,  they  loomed  up,  inky  black, 
against    the  twilight  sky,  and  had  a  weird  fascination 

which  kept  us  on  deck  for  many  hours. 

12 


^'^1l 

(''! 


/■///;  ro )'.!(;/■:  or  riir-:  kite. 


43 


These  icebcrj^s,  as  Captain  Pike  iiilonned  us,  were 
frafjnients  of  j^laciers  on  the  eastern  shore  of  (ireenhuul, 
whicli,  swept  around  Cape  I-'arewcll  by  the  ocean  cur- 
rents, sail  slowly  up  the  western  coast  until  deflected  b\- 
the  rjreat  Arctic  currents,  and  are  carried  down  the  east 
coast  of  North  America  to  the  open  Atlantic.  Only  the 
largest  and  oldest  of  these  bcrj^s  survive  their  lon.g- jour- 
nc)-;  the  rest  are  melted  and  dissipated  by  the  warm 
water  and  air  which  they  meet  as  the\-  float  southward. 
Those  that  remain  are  the  terror  of  the  transatlantic 
seamen,  for  they  float  in  the  direct  course  of  the  shortest 
possible  route  lietwcen  the  <j;reat  points  of  departure 
of  the  two  continents.  When  these  frajL^meuts  of  the 
great  ice-fleet  are  met  with,  the  mighty  steamer  is  in 
great  peril,  and  the  captain  shows  his  sense  of  her  dan- 
ger by  his  constant  watchfulness  and  extreme  care;  but 
the  AV/r  being  of  different  build,  Captain  Pike's  placidity 
was  not  even  disturbed  for  a  moment  by  the  sight  of 
these  monsters.  Notwithstanding  the  abundance  of  ice- 
bergs which  lay  in  our  path,  the  ship  kept  on  her  course, 
except  that  the  ice-pilot  would  occasionally  throw  over 
her  helm  to  avoid  what  he  called  "knocking  her  tooth- 
pick out  of  her  mouth" — that  is  to  say,  losing  her  jib- 
boom. 

The  great  procession  of  bergs  continued  all  night,  but 
as  the  ship  reached  the  desired  point  opposite  Cape  Des- 
olation, and  her  course  was  turned  northward,  the\'  were 
gradually  left  behind  and  sailed  majestically  on  their 
journey. 

After  passing  Cape  Desolation  we  had  beautiful,  warm^ 


i 


tihi 


! 


II 


t,    i 


44 


/.\-  .  :h'C7/c  s/:.is. 


sunshiiiy  weather,  all()\vin<j^  us  to  be  on  deck  all  the  time. 
The  flays  were  \ery  a<;rceal)lc,  and,  havin,i;  now  crossed 
the  Arctic  Circle,  we  were  favored  with  continuous  day- 
lij^ht.  Thisenal)ied  us  to  see  all  that  was  jiassinj;-  at  any 
time;  but  havinj.;  no  dark. 'ess  afTected  us  straui^ely,  ])r()- 
ducin.t;  such  a  feelMiiL:^  of  wakefulness  that  it  was  hard  to 
tell  when  we  ou<;ht  to  "^o  to  sleep. 

At  this  time  we  were  jjassinj^-  alontj  the  western  coast 
of  (ireenland,  which  was  only  twenty  miles  distant,  its 
ru.^j^ed  outlines  bein<;  clearh'  visible  in  the  brilliant  sun- 
shine, while  the  t(jps  of  its  sncnv-clad  mount  lins  were 
distinctl\-  outlined  apjainst  the  blue  sky  in  the  distance. 
The  immense  icebergs  which  were  constantly  passin,^  al- 
ways interested  us.  Their  ever-c]ianiL;in<j^  form-;  and  beau- 
tiful clear  blue  color  were  never-ceasiufj^  objects  of  com- 
ment, and  constanth-  ch;dlen.y;ed  our  admiration.  'I'he 
continu(Mis  da\li.^ht  and  radiance  of  the  sun,  to,^ether 
with  the  ma_i;iiihcence  of  the  beri^s  and  the  anticii)ation 
of  still  more  wonderful  revelations,  so  aroused  us  that  it 
destroyed  all  desire  for  sleep,  and  made  us  feel  as  if  we 
were  on  a  summer  ])leasure  trip  at  home,  rather  than 
sleamin«;-  amidst  the  ice  of  Arctic  .seas.  The  island  of 
Disko  was  sijrhted  on  June  25th,  in  the  afternoon,  and 
although  seventy  miles  distant,  it  v>'as  nevertheless, 
owin*^  to  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere,  distinctly 
visible   to   the   unaided  e\e. 

On  this  island  is  situated  (iodhavn,  the  principal  .set- 
tlement of  Northern  Dani.sh  (ireenland.  This  settle- 
ment is  on  the  south  side  of  the  island  of  Disko,  in  lati- 
tude 69^  17'.     It  is  about  half  a  mile  from  the  sea,  and 


■sSg 


////■;  r(>):i(,/:  oi-   riii:  kin:. 


45 


u)  m't  a  Ljood  anch<)ia>;(.'  it  is  necessary  lo  ctilcr  ihu  liord 
or  l)a\-  for  llii>  dislaiicc.  Tlif  si'llk'Hiciit  is  not  \isil)k' 
iVoiu   llic  ocean,  l)cin<'   liiddtn  1)\-  llif  inouiilaius  at  llic 


III 


■i 


It 


h 

\ 

i 


i.<i|>ll.\VN. 


entrance  of  the   fiord;   indeed,  were  it  not   for  the  two 
stone  iK-acons  placed  to  mark  the  snot,  one  would  have 


ivn 


heen  liable  to  have  passed  it  by  nnrecoj^nized.  <i"('!i, 
was  the  first  place  at  which  we  called  after  leavini^-  Sydney. 
The  scene  at  the  month  of  the  harbor  was  truly  ma<;nif- 
icent,  three  lart;e  icebergs  seemin(,^lo  ,miard  its  entrance; 
one,  about  three  hundred  feet  in  leno;th  and  a  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  in  heioht,  was  shaped  like  an  immer.se  arch, 


mm 


^ 


46 


j\v  .ih'C//L  s/:.is. 


with  an  optiiiiiiLi^  larije  cnoujj^h  to  permit  {\\v  passaj^u-  (»f 
a  Vfssfl  the  s'v/.v  of  our  own  with  toi)masts  hotistd.  Imoiii 
thi-  k'\-il  of  th.i'  si-a  to  tlu-  top  of  the  arch  was  ([iiiic-  si-\- 
iiil\-  fcol,  aii<l  it  was  as  rej^ular  and  hfautifnl  a  scniicire-k- 
as  f\c-r  sct-n  in  onr  larj^c  stone  bridges  at  home.  The  pale 
hhu'  ice,  with  its  snrface  covered  with  snow  and  frozen 
hard  enon<;h  to  j^listen  in  the  morning  snnlii^lit,  snr- 
passed  in  coh)r  and  l)eant\-  anythinjj;  that  man  conhl 
form  from  ])uresl  marble,  and  was  a  sij^jht  ni'ver  to  be 
fori^otten. 

( )n  oiu'  arrival  in  front  of  the  town  a  whale-boat  left 
the  shore,  manned  by  half  a  do/.en  natives,  who,  com- 
ing aboard,  j^nided  onr  ship  to  a  safe  anchoraj^e  opposite 
the  governor's  honse.  vSome  of  these  men  sjjoke  a  littl 
Knj^lish,  which  had  been  acquired  dnrintj^  the  \isits  (.. 
whalers.  I)\-  means  of  their  small  stock  of  this  lanj^na.Lje, 
eked  ont  with  additional  sij^ns  and  .y;e.stnrcs,  they  in- 
formed ns  that  onr  vessel  had  been  sij^hted  .several  hours 
before,  by  some  of  their  compariions,  from  the  mountain 
heij^ht  adjacent  to  the  villajjjc. 

The  liarbor  of  (i;jdhavn  is  land-locked,  and  is  as  snnt^ 
and  prettv  a  little  harbor  as  one  e\-er  .sees.  On  the  north 
.side  the  mountains  reached  over  three  thou.sand  feet  in 
hei<;ht,  their  to'ps  beinj^  covered  with  snow  and  ice. 
Toward  the  base  they  were  greenish  in  color,  which  was 
due  to  a  scanty  t^rowth  of  mos.ses  and  lichens.  There 
was  not  a  tree  to  be  .seen  an\w'here;  indeed,  we  soon 
learned  that  in  (rreenland  trees  as  we  know  them  do  not 
exist.  To  the  south  the  ^^round  was  low  and  rocky,  and 
in  the  water  bevond  a  number  of  iceber<;s  could  be  seen. 


: 


i 


I 


'////•:  10):  !(,/■:  <>/■   ////•;  av//:. 


47 


Till'  land  coiitaimd  iiiouj^li  soil  lo  luniish  suhsistfiice 
to  a  small  aiiioimt  of  vt-jj^t-tatioii,  which  added  a  intlU- 
j^rcL'U  to  the  landscapr. 

'PIk-  aiiciior  was  droj)i)i'd  and  a  salute  find,  which 
was  ri'SpoiuU'd  to  1)\  oik- Iron  i  tlu'  land,  and  Cajuiin  I'iki' 
with  IJcnlfnant  I'c.nrN'  ;ind  Prof.  Ikilprin  wtnl  ashoii' 
and  c\alk'd  on  ihf  insptctor,  Mr.  Andfrstn.  The  ktttr 
of  introduction  from  the  I);inish  minister  at  Washington, 
to,L;cllK'r  with  oilier  ])apers  e.\])lainint;-  onr  mission  in 
(Greenland,  was  shown  to  him,  ;ind  he  recei\ed  tlu- 
\isitors  \er\-  i)leasantl\-,  hoping  that  their  sta\-  at  (iod- 
hax'ii  would  be  an  enjo\al)le  one. 

.\fler  their  return  to  the  ship  iiearh-  all  the  ]>art\- 
landed  and  proceeded  lo  in\-esti_y;atc  the  villaj^c  and  snr- 
ronndin.ii;  connlr\-.  The  few  nniainin^ on  board  receixed 
a  visit  from  the  natives,  who  came  lo  the  ship  to  trade 
and  t^ratifx'  iheir  curiosity.  The\'  i)ro\'ed  so  inlereslin<^- 
that  I  decided  lo  slay  aboard  al!  mornin<r. 

The  first  si<j[ht  of  ihe  Eskimo  is  disa]i])oinlin.t:^.  Il  is 
Irne  ihal  lliey  are  septal  in  fiij^nre  and  swarthy,  but  those 
which  we  saw  al  Disko  were  nt)l  so  remarkable  in  face  or 
form  as  lo  liave  allracled  atlentitin  in  any  \)on  where 
forcifi^n  sailors  abound,  except  for  iheir  skin  costumes. 
I^\-en  these  costumes  would  not  ha\e  been  partictdarly 
noticeable  had  it  not  been  for  their  fdlliiuess.  \\'e  fell 
Ihe  same  disappointment  that  man\-  of  ns  had  experienced 
al  seein_<^  the  Western  Indians,  when,  instead  of  a  noble 
sava<>;e,  or  even  a  semblance  of  the  caricatures  one  sees  of 
the  Indian  in  hi^i^h  hat  and  red  blanket,  we  found  men 
like  ourselves,  dressed  in   fairly  civilized  fashion,  and  at 


fl' 


I'm,, 

M 


ii 


111 


48 


/A'  .1A'C7/C  s/:.is. 


first  sii'iil  r.ol  rcmarkaljlc  tor 


ll 


iiu  llini<; 


This  first  i 


111- 


])iX'ssi()ii,  liowewr,  1,1  l)()tli  cases  soon  wears  off.  TIu' 
])li\  sioL;iioniy,  race  characteristics,  and  customs  arc  seen 
to  (liffer  widely  from  tliose  of  otlier  nations,  and  an 
interest  all  the  more  intense  (jH  account  of  its  prc\ions 
absence  was  felt  in  stnd\  in<;  this  (to  ns)  new  variety  of 
nnnkind. 

Ahont  noon  a  conple  of  natives  rowed  me  a!-hore,  and 
after  a  few  minutes  s[)ent  in  lookiii<r  al)out  the  settknieni 
I  met  the  inspector,  the  <;()\ernor,  aid  a  ]X!ssen^er  from 
the  onl\-  ship  in  tlu'  harhor,  a  small  Danish  bri.i;.  This 
.L^entleman,  Mr.  Koch  ])y  name,  had  arrived  a  lew  da\s 
pre\  ioush'  from  Denmark,  and  was  ;ivv"aitin,y;  an  ()])portu- 
iiil\'  to  procei'd  southward  to  take  charge  of  one  of  the 
other  settlements.  The\-  were  standing  in  front  of  the 
,<;(>\ernor's  house,  talkin,^,  as  I  approached  and  introduced 
invself      lM)rtunately  for  me,  they  all  s])oke  some   Vav^- 

iversiny;    about    the  exjxdi- 


lisl 


1,  and 


A'e    were  soon    coi 


tioil. 


A  deli<;htful  half  hour  was  thus  passed,  after  which  I 
received  an  invitation  from  the  <4()\-eriU)r  to  »line  with 
him.  On  my  acceiHiniL;,  we  entered  the  li(»usc-  and  were 
ushered  into  the  ])arlor,  through  the  open  doorway  of 
which,   lea('in>'    to  the  dininir-room,   could   be  seen   the 


e  sa\'()r\'  odors  o 


)f  tl 


serxants   j)repaiin,n'   the   meal.      Th 

food,  the  s])i)tless  liiU'U   table-cloth,  and  home-like    sur- 


frc 


roundiui^s  were  '.ndeed  an  agreeable  cnan<'e  Irom  s'lip- 
life.  The  part\-  at  dinner,  which  was  soon  announced, 
consisted  of  the  mow  riior  and  his  wife,  Mr.  Koch  with 
his  wife  and  child,  and  nuself     Then   followed  a  most 


rur.   I -( )):!(,/■:  ,)/■■  ////■:  a///;. 


49 


oiijovahk'  meal.  It  hc.^au  with  a  scup  of  most  (klicious 
flavor,  made  from  the  eider-duck,  followed  1)\  hroiled 
eider-duck  breasts  and  potatoes,  with  bread  and  winc'.  A 
dessert  of  jelly  and  almonds  ended  the  rejja.st.  The 
\'arietv  of  tin.-  v''<;i'tables  was  neeessariK"  restricted,  be- 
cause the\'  had  all  to  be  broui^ht  from  Denmark,  and 
conimunication  with  that  count  r\-  is  only  possible  duriu;^ 
the  summer  nuMiths. 

The  servants  seemed  to  be  (piite  familiar  with  their 
duties,  and  moved  about  noiselessly  in  their  soft  skin 
boots.  A  slij^ht  look  or  j^esture  from  the  host  or  hostess 
was  readih'  understood  and  innnedialeh'  ol)e\'ed.  T'hey 
were  iCskimo  wonivii,  and  dressed  in  fur  trousers  with 
lancy-colorcd  soft  leather  boots  which  reached  to  the 
knees;  a  short  jacket  made  of  the  skin  of  the  hair  seal 
and  a  fancy  handkerchief  or  cloth  about  the  heafl  com- 
])letcd  their  attire.  It  was  indeed  a  sensible  cosuime, 
and  both  becominj^  and  picturescjue. 

The  convcr.sation  at  the  table,  which  was  principally 
in  the  Danish  t()n<;ne,  was  kiuuiy  translated  for  nu',  from 
time  to  nine,  by  Mr.  Koch,  who  spoke  l\n<^lish  with 
considerable  fluency.  This  courlesx',  and  the  kindness 
and  geniality  of  the  host,  added  considerably  to  the 
pleasure  of  the  occasion.  ( )n  risin*.;,  ai.  the  conclusion 
of  the  dinner,  those  at  the  table  shoek  hands  with  their 
host  and  with  one  another,  and  exchant^ed  jj^reetinj^s. 
This  was  an  ancient  D:uiish  custom,  an<l  is  generally 
l)racti.sed  amonj:^  the  Danes  in  (ireenland.  The  j^entU- 
men  then  retired  to  another  room,  where  cofiee  and 
cigars  were  served. 


^H|1 


( !* 


H 


^^1 


I- '  ii 


BO 


/X  .lA'C/VC  S/LIS. 


"ia 


On  Icavino:,  soon  afterward,  we  made  a  tonr  of  the 
settlement.  It  consisted  of  the  inspector's  honse,  the 
j^overnor's  honse,  a  store,  the  assistant  governor's  honse, 
a  small  chapel,  a  cooper  and  blacksmith  shop,  a  store- 
honse  near  the  ed<>e  of  the  water,  where  the  ships 
nnloaded,  and  ahont  tliirtv  or  fortv  Eskimo  hnts.      All 


INSI'l.l'TilK  S    IlnI'Si:,    (;nI)|lA\'N. 


the  bnildins^s  except  those  of  the  Eskimos  were  made  of 
Inmber  bron,y;ht  from  Denmark.  The\-  were  abont  a 
story  and  a  half  hij^h,  with  steep  peaked  roofs  covered 
with  pitch.  The  windows,  and  the  panes  also,  were 
qnite  small,  both  the  windows  and  the  doors  being  deep- 
ly cased  to  provide  against  the  bitter  cold  of  winter.     At 


'Jill-:  ro.H,/-:  o/-  ////■:  a///-: 


51 


this  season  of  the  year  the  double  windows  were  unneces- 
sar\,  f(jr  the  temperature  was  about  the  freeziuf^-point 
and  in  the  l)ri<^ht  sunliji^ht  it  was  quite  warm.  Both  the 
sides  and  roofs  of  tlie  houses  were  covered  with  coal-tar, 
and  the  casings  and  window-sashes  were  painted  white, 
the  contrast  of  the  two  colors  producinj^  a  strikinj^  and 
by  no  means  unpleasinc^  effect.  All  were  scrupulously 
clean,  and  presented  a  neat  and  cosy  appearance.  vSev- 
cral  houses  were  fenced  in,  and  nicely-kept  jiebble  walks 
led  up  to  the  front  door. 

As  one  entered,  he  found  a  short  hall  from  which  two 
doors  opened;  one  of  these  led  into  a  sittinji^-room,  which 
was  also  fitted  up  for  the  transaction  of  business  relatin,u;- 
to  the  colony.  This  room  was  quite  cheerful  and  neatly 
furnished,  containinji;  a  piano,  a  book -case  filled  with 
books,  and  other  evidences  of  refinenKut.  There  were 
windows  on  three  sides  of  the  •  'Ui,  which  looked  out 
on  the  bay  and  the  pleasant  land  -.wv  around.  The 
other  door,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  iiall  i^avv.-  access 
to  the  living-rooms  of  the  family.  I  did  n>  ■  sec  the 
upper  rooms,  Avhich  must  have  been  small,  and  were 
possibly  used  for  storage  purposes  or  for  the  accommoda- 
tion of  the  servants. 

On  the  sheltered  side  of  the  house,  under  one  of  the 
windows,  was  a  miniature  garden  five  or  six  feet  square. 
It  contained  lettuce,  peas,  and  one  or  tw(^  other  hardy  veg- 
etables. This  garden  was  more  a  thingof  ornament  than 
service,  as  the  amount  grown  in  it  was  insignificant  and 
the  short  .season  prevented  the  ])lants  from  becoming 
pro])erly  matured.     It  was  inclosed  by  a  neat  and  pretty 


11 

■i  ' 

( 

1. 

■i 

■ 

:Ul 


■<    'h 


4  "  --;  t 

\  1  : 

s» 


AV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


fence  of  wood,  which  reseiiibled  the  toy  fences  used  to 
surround  our  Christinas  trees. 

The  houses  have  no  ceHars,  being  built  on  the  solid 
rock  or  on  <,aound  which  is  frozen  perpetually  from  a 
few  inches  below  the  surface,  the  sun  during  the  summer 
months  thawing  the  ground  to  the  depth  of  only  half 
a  foot  or  more,  depending  on  its  situation.  There  were 
but  three  of  these  wooden  dwelling-houses,  the  inspec 
tor's,   the  governor's,   and  assistant  governor's. 


CIIAPEI.    AT    GonilAVN. 

The  chapel  and  storehouses,  built  also  of  wood,  were 
painted  black  with  white  windows,  similar  to  the 
dwellings. 

The  chapel  was  situated  on  the  top  f  a  hill  in  the 
rear  of  the  village.     While  not  large,  it  was  nevertheless 


THE    \-OYAC.F.    OF   Till-:  KITE 


h}^ 


attractive-lookin,<^,  and  resembled  in  j^eiieral  the  small 
Lutlif^rau  churches  of  Northern  Europe.  It  possessed  a 
single  room  with  wooden  benches,  and  was  used  for  both 
church  and  school  purposes.  In  the  front  was  a  rather 
elaborate  altar,  also  used  as  the  schoolmaster's  desk. 
An  organ  and  a  blackboard  completed  the  furnishing 
of  the  interior,  with  the  exception  of  a  number  of  gaily- 
colored  religious  prints  on  the  walls. 

Tlie  storehouses  were  nothing  more  than  large  barns, 
strongly  constructed  to  withstand  the  storms  of  winter. 

The  Eskimo  dwellings  were  huts  built  of  turf,  with  a 
roof  made  of  boards  covered  with  the  same  material. 
They  were  about  fifteen  feet  square,  and  usually  built 
on  the  slope  of  a  hill.  Ivacli  house  contained  a  single 
window  with  a  sash  of  glass  composed  of  several  panes. 
They  were  entered  by  a  tunnel  about  ten  feet  in  length 
and  two  or  three  feet  in  height,  running  out  from  its 
side.  Before  entering,  it  is  quite  essential  to  call  to 
some  of  the  inmates,  who  then  knock  out  two  or  three 
of  the  ugly-looking  dogs  which  congregate  in  and  about 
the  openings  of  all  the  huts.  After  this  precaution  one 
goes  down  on  hands  and  knees  and  crawls  through  the 
tunnel,  a  small  door  giving  acL.iission  to  the  hut.  The 
interior  consists  of  but  one  room,  half  of  which  has  a 
floor  of  wood  raised  a  couple  of  feet  above  the  ground. 
On  this  the  inmates  spend  most  of  their  time,  eating, 
sleeping,  and  working.  The  rest  of  the  room  is  given 
up  to  cooking,  curing  of  skins,  and  the  storage  of  hunt- 
ing and  other  implements.  The  raised  floor  is  ueces- 
sarv  to  utilize  the  heat  and  warmth  of  the  room,  which 


:ii 


<  i  1 

.'if 


Ux 


"\\ 


:r  i^ 


f 


54 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


is  j^reater  nearer  the  roof.  The  heij^ht  inside  the  hnt  from 
the  gronnd  to  the  roof  is  hardly  seven  feet,  it  beino;  im- 
possible for  any  except  the  smaller  inmates  to  stand  np- 
ri<i^ht  when  on  the  platform. 

There  is  a  very  perceptible  odor  of  fish   and   f^rease 
about  the  inside,  and  generally  a  pot  of  fish  and  blubber 


NATU'l'.    WOMAN    AM)    I'll  III  IRKN,    (loDHAVN. 

is  boiling  over  a  smoky  nrc.  The  fuel  used  is  seal  oil 
and  turf,  the  latter  of  which  I  saw  them  piling  up  out- 
side the  hut  for  future  use.  The  Danish  government 
provides  the  natives  of  the  settlement  with  large  cast- 
iron  stoves,  and  each  hut  contains  one  of  these,  the  pipe 
from  which  pierces  the  roof.     The  walls  are  usually  hung 


THE  ro )'.!(;/■  OF  nil',  kin-:. 


55 


with  liiiiitiii<^  itnpleniciits,  clothes,  occasionally  some 
cheap  prints,  and  a  few  other  articles.  On  the  platform 
were  the  skins  on  which  the  inmates  slept:  they  were 
mostly  those  of  the  reindeer  and  birds  sewn  tofijether. 
When  not  in  nse  these  fnrs  are  nsiially  rolled  np  and 
packed  away  with  a  miscellaneons  collection  of  nnfinished 
clothint^,  little  boxes  containing  sewing  implements, 
trinkets,  and  children's  playthings.  The  whole  plat- 
form was  sometimes  littered  with  these  things,  for  here 
the  work  of  the  honsehold  was  done  and  the  little  chil- 
dren played.  Many  of  the  lints  were  filthy  in  the  ex- 
treme, thongli  in  those  of  some  of  the  better  class  of 
natives  the  platform  was  qnite  neat. 

The  floor  itself  was  always  strewn  with  fragments  of 
skin,  pieces  of  dirty  blankets,  and  other  offensive  mat- 
ter, which  amply  acconnted  for  the  vile  odors  encoun- 
tered on  entering. 

The  total  number  of  inhabitants  in  (kxlhavn  was 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty;  of  these  about  a  half  dozen 
were  tlie  Danish  officials  and  their  families,  ti;e  rest  being 
Eskimos. 

The  inmates  of  the  native  huts  numbered  usually  six 
to  eight  in  each.  They  seemed  to  have  a  number  of 
children,  who  were  as  a  rule  briglii  and  interesting. 
Almost  all  of  the  natives  were  of  the  color  of  our  Xortli 
American  Indians,  but  the  face  is  broader  and  has  none 
of  the  fierce  and  stolid  look  of  the  American  savage. 
They  are  much  smaller  in  stature,  their  hair  is  jet  black, 
straight,  and,  in  the  case  of  the  men,  not  allowed  to  grow 
over  four  or  five  inches  in  length.      In  the  women,  how- 


I 


i 

.  ! 

! 


i' 


m. 


i  ^ 

■  ■'■: 


)!i 


ii\ 


i 

\ 

56 


AV  ARCTIC  SRAS. 


ever,  it  is  inucli  loncrer,  and  evidently  receives  consider- 
al)le  attention. 

The  married  women  are  distinj^nislied  from  those  who 
are  sinfj^le  by  havin<;  their  hair  twisted  in  the  form  of  a 
roll,  four  or  five  inches  in  heij^ht,  on  the  top  of  the 
head  and  tij^htly  wrapped  with  cord.  The  sini>;le  women 
dress  their  hair  in  varions  styles  as  fancy  dictates,  the 


YULNd    KhKIMU    GIKl.S    AM)    NATIVK    HUT. 

female  children  wearing  it  sometimes  like  that  of  their 
mothers,  as  shown  in  the  illustration. 

I  saw  not  a  single  slovenly-looking  woman,  and  if  they 
had  not  such  an  abominable  odor  of  grease  and  rank  fish 
oil  about  them  they  might  have  been  quite  attractive. 
They  were  able  to  obtain  from  the  store  in  the  settle- 


m 


'////•;  lOY.ic/':  OF  THE  kitr. 


57 


inent  fancy-colored  cloths,  beads,  etc.,  and  with  these 
they  made  and  decorated  their  picturesque  fur  costumes. 
The  men  arc  neither  so  well  dressed  nor  thrifty  look- 
ing;, much  of  their  clolhino;  beinj^^  composed  of  the  cast- 
off  garments  of  sailors.     ^lany  of  them  wore  pantaloons  of 


STOREHOUSK   ANU    GKOUl'   Ul"   NATIVES,   GODHAVN. 

seal-skin,  skin  boots,  and,  at  this  season,  a  combined  hood 
and  shirt  called  "  neitsek,"  made  of  a  rather  heavy  calico 
sort  of  material  supplied  by  the  government.  They  were 
quite  anxious  to  trade  anything  they  had  for  cloth  panta- 
loons, but  as  they  desired  only  those  which  were  in  good 


I 


111 


I 


i'i,: 


III 


m 


\\ 


Ifcfi 


I 


.  ■  ,  F  ■ 


58 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


condition,  we  had  very  few  to  spare.  They  wished  to 
have  them  for  two  reasons:  first,  to  satisfy  a  desire  to 
imitate  tlie  Enropean  metliod  of  dress;  and  second,  as  be- 
ing a  more  comfortable  article  of  clothing  for  snnimer 
use  than  their  own  seal  garments. 


I 


llij  , 


;    I 


CHAPTKR    rV. 

A  Xativi;  Danci:.— Polaris  Hknkick.— Rkmciox  oi-  tiim  Ivs- 
KiMos. — MoDic  oi'  (i()\i;uN.MivNT. — MosoiiTc  )i:s.  — A  ri.rNc.i': 
IN  Tn:c  Arctic  Ocicax. — Tiiic  Xativi-;  Aim'i:titi;. 

ON  the  following  day  I  was  fortunate  eiiouo;h  to  meet 
Mr.  Carstens,  the  assistant  ^^overnor.  I  le  had  been 
busy,  previously,  supervising  the  unloading  of  supplies 
from  the  Danish  brig  in  the  harbor,  but  the  day  being 
Sunday,  all  work  in  the  settlement  was  suspended,  and 
he  was  therefore  at  leisure.  Most  of  us  went  ashore 
to  see  a  native  dance  which  took  place  in  one  of  the 
storehouses.  This  dance  it  is  customary  to  have  during 
the  stay  of  the  Danish  ship  in  port,  the  petty  officers  and 
crew  also  taking  part  in  the  festivities,  which  constitute 
one  of  the  inducements  held  out  to  them  to  visit  these 
o.'t-of-the-way  shores.  I  was  told  that  the  Danish  gov- 
ernment had  considerable  difficulty  in  getting  desirable 
crews  for  this  trade,  and  so  allows  a  dance  and  vSunday 
ashore  to  the  men,  to  vary  the  monotony  of  their  long  and 
dangerous  voyage  to  and  from  Denmark.  The  ships  are 
quite  small,  generally  brigs  or  barks,  and  are  rarely 
manned  by  over  ten  men;  there  were  about  this  number 
of  sailors  present  at  the  dance,  and  they  seemed  to  enjoy 
themselves  hugely.  Everything  was  quite  orderly,  and 
the  good  behavior  of  all  was  much  commented  on  by  us. 


•'J 


.l 


r  It 


;  t 


^■J 


'I 


}■     J 


It; 

t 


\:n 


id 


6o 


/A'  .lAxv/c  .sv;./.v. 


vSevcral  of  our  sailors  also  took  part,  j^rcatly  to  their 
(U'lij^lit,  and  sonic  of  the  menibcrs  of  our  own  party  did 
not  refrain  from  joininj^^  in  the  more  familiar  dances, 
which  consisted  jirinciiKilly  of  a  mixture  of  hornpipes, 
ji}j^s,  and  qiuulrilles,  evidently  learned  from  the  sailors  of 
whaliuiT  shijis  that  had  been  callin*^  here  for  years. 
Most  of  the  dances  included  the  clappinj^  of  hands 
and  slampin;^-  of  feet,  not  unlike  our  Indian  war-dances. 
The  music  was  made  by  two  old  Eskimos  with  fiddles, 
and  it  was  ver\-  evident  that  this  acconijdishnient 
orij^inated  from  the  same  source,  as  three  or  four  of 
the  tunes  ]dayed  were  a  medley  of  Xe<^ro  and  Irish  tunes 
that  were  familiar  at  home.  I  sent  to  the  ship  for  a 
guitar,  and  accompanied  this  "orchestra"  forsometime. 
The)'  ])layed  (piile  well  both  as  rej^ards  time  and  tune, 
and  I  had  not  much  difficulty  in  kee])in<^  with  them. 
The  natives  seemed  quite  pleased  with  this  addition  to 
their  music,  and  looked  much  and  curiously  at  the 
guitar.  It  was  evidently  the  first  one  ever  seen  in  the 
locality,  and  produced  quite  a  sensation.  The  natives 
were  found  extremely  fond  of  music. 

]\I^'.  Carstens,  who  was  so  kind  and  courteous  during 
our  short  acquaintance,  gave  me  a  large  amount  of  val- 
uable information  about  this  peculiar  and  interesting 
people.  During  his  residence  of  over  four  years  he  had 
acquired  considerable  knowledge  of  the  subject,  which, 
with  the  information  he  had  obtained  from  other  sources, 
made  him  a  most  charming  and  interesting  companion. 

He  informed  me  that  the  natives  were  looked  after  by 
the  Danish  government.     They  are  well-behaved,  hon- 


THE  ro). !(./■:  01-  nil',  kite 


6r 


1 


W 


est,  and  siu-iul  their  tinu'  in  'lie  sprinj;  catch iiijj^  seals  and 
walrus  and  obtainint^  skins,  ixorx-,  and  oil,  which  are 
sent  to  Denmark.  They  receive  their  pay  in  a  special 
kind  of  money,  consistin<^  of  coins  and  scrip  made  for 
this  ]mrpose  in  Denmark.  It  is  taken  in  payment  at  the 
store  for  jj^oods  sold  to  the  natives. 

Inspector  Andersen  pointed  ont  to  us  a  lad  about  ei<;h- 
teen  years  of  age  as  being  the  son  of  Mans  Henrick,  the 
Ivskimo  hunter,  guide,  and  companion  of  Kane  and 
Hayes,  and  mentioned  so  often  by  them  in  their  famous 
books  on  Arctic  travel  and  hardships.  The  yotmg  fellow 
is  now  an  orphan,  and  lives  with  his  step-mother.  His 
smiling  face  and  cheerful  disposition  show  that  he  is 
evidently  contented  with  his  lot.  He  enjoys  the  distin- 
guished name  of  Polaris  Henrick,  having  been  called 
after  the  United  States  steamship  Polaris,  which  during 
Hall's  expedition,  in  the  year  1872,  was  crushed  in  the 
ice. 

The  boy  was  interesting  from  the  fact  of  his  having 
been  born  on  an  ice-floe  at  a  time  wdien  the  Polaris  was 
firndy  locked  in  the  ice,  in  latitude  7<S°  30',  and  in  im- 
minent danger  of  being  crushed.  Fearing  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  vessel  at  any  moment,  some  of  the  crew  had 
encamped  on  the  ice  a  short  distance  away,  while  the 
rest  remained  on  board.  A  violent  gale  broke  up  the 
ice,  and  the  floe  on  which  the  encampment  was  situated 
floated  away.  Those  who  were  on  the  ice  comprised 
Captain  Tyson  the  ice-pilot,  a  few  of  the  crew,  and  the 
Eskimos  who  had  accompanied  Hall's  expedition.  The 
innnense  floe,  with  its  living  burden,  drifted  about  on 


..I.; 


M 


■i 


62 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


the  open  sea  for  six  months,  when  the  survivors  were 
rescued  l)y  the  steamship  Tii^nss^  in  hititude  53°  35',  off 
tile  coast  of  Ln^nulor,  havinj^  successfulK-  made  the  re- 
markable drif^  of  nccirh"  fifteen  hnndred  miles  and  lived 
thron<2^h  the  rigors  of  an  Arctic  winter. 

The  religion  of  the  Eskimos,  a.*--  was  learned  from  Mr. 
Carstens,  is  somewhat  indefinite  and  nncertain.     At  the 
settlements,  where  the  Danisli  missionaries  have  labored 
with  the  natives  for  many  yea's,  they  nii^ht  be  called 
theoretical  Christians.     They  do  not  appear  to  be  able  Lo 
grasp  the  idea  of  a  Deitv  as  commonly  understood,  and 
have  even  a  slighter  conception  of  original  sin.     They 
cannot  be  made  to  comprehend  how  the   sins  of  their 
fathers  for  generations  can  in  an,-  way  affect  them,  and  it 
is  ver\-  doubtful  if  they  have  any  exalted  opinion  of  the 
superiority  of  the  Christian  Church  over  their  own  vague 
ideas  of  a  future  life.      A  total  indifference  is  felt  to  the 
existence    of  hell    as  a  ])ossible    future   dwelling-place. 
This  may  be  })artially  due  to  having  passed    their   ex- 
istence in  such  an  uUerly  desolate  land  that  they  cannot 
imagine  an  abode  more  miserable.     The  smi,  moon,  and 
(xreat  Spirit  they  regard  as  having  aii  indefinite  some- 
thing to  do  with  their  past,  present,  and  future  state. 
At  Gedesmunde  and  Jakobshavn,  two  settlements  below 
Godhavn,  are  two  holes  or  sacred  caves,  into  which  the 
Kskimos,  on    passing   in    the   course   of  their    hunting 
trips,  throw  bits  of  blubber  and  meat.     This  is  about  the 
onlv  sacrifice  they  are  known  to  offer  up  to  the  (ireat 
Spirit.     Mr,  Carstens  thinks  that  their  apparent  devotion 
and  regularity  in  attendance  at  the  little  chapel  is  due 


'////•;    lOV.IGE  OF   rilR  klTR. 


63 


larj^fcly  to  their  j^reat  passion  for  music.  They  never 
tire  of  the  ninsic  of  tlie  small  oro;an,  and  sin.t?iii<j  to  its 
accompaniment  afford."  them  the  greatest  pleasure. 

The  Eskimos  are  a  peaceful,  harndess  people  among 
themselves  and  toward    the  whites.      Xo   authenticated 
case  of  a  white  niau  being  killed  by  an  Kskinio  has  ever 
been  known  in  Greenland,  and  but  three  cases  of  murder 
amongst  the    natives  themselves  have  occurred   in    the 
history  of  the  settlement  at  Godhavn.     The  perpetrator 
of  one,  a  case  of  infanticide,  was  punished  with  the  ad- 
ministration b\'  the  inspector  of  forty  lashes  on  the  bare 
back.     The  second  case,  if  it  can  be  classed  as  a  murder, 
was   of  a    somewhat    peculiar   nature:     In    one    of   the 
familits  there  was  a  young  girl,  who,  being  insane  and  a 
burden  to  her  people,  was  sentenced  at  a  famih-  conclave 
to  ^''cth.      Some  carbolic  aci u,  which  had  been  left  for 
dressing  a  wound   by  the  doctor  who  visited  Godluun 
twice  a  year  from  some  of  the  southern  settlements,  was 
given  to  her,  but  then,  as  the  narrator  said,  "she became 
crazier  than  ever;"   thereupon  a  .second  dose  of  a  larger 
amount  of  the  drug  was  administered,  ruid  slie  fell  insen- 
sible.    Supposing  her  dead,  she  was  taken  by  her  rela- 
tives  and    hurriedh-    buried  beneath    a    pile   of  stones. 
They  maintained  that  she  was  really  dead  when  buried, 
but  inibrmation    imparted    h\   others   nuule    it    look   as 
though  this  had  not  been  the  case,  and   that    she   was 
ali\e  when  interred.     Owing  to  the  doubts  in  the  case, 
no  punishment  was  inflicted  in  this  instance.      The  last 
murdor  was  that  ]K"rpetrated  by  a  man  who  was  seen,  in 
his  kajak,  to  approach  a  large  skin  boat  or  "umiak" 


m 

1 

:  t 


i 


m 


\  I 


n 


..  i 

\  f  ^r  '^  ~\ 

't 

'm 

\ 
1 

1 

:'^ 


p^ 


64 


/N  ARCTIC  SE.IS. 


contaiiiinc;^  nine  persons.  He  deliberately  plunjred  his 
knife  into  it,  sinkinc)^  the  boat  and  drownin*;^  the  entire 
party.  The  murderer  escaped  punishment,  as  the  natives 
refused  to  act  in  the  matter  and  the  three  Danish  officials 
had  not  the  conraj^e  to  act  themselves  as  his  executioners. 
The  murderer  is  still  occasionally  seen  near  the  settle- 
ment, but  is  prohibited  by  the  governor  from  living  in 
it.  Whei  asked  what  their  home  government  had  to 
say  about  it,  their  reply  was,  "Nothing."  To  send  tlie 
fellow  three  thousand  miles  to  Denmark  to  be  executed 
was  nonsense,  while  to  make  executioners  of  the  two 
white  men  here  (the  inspector  often  being  absent)  would 
be  an  unreasonable  procedure  in  view  of  the  indifference 
shown  in  the  matter  by  the  natives  ihemselves.  So  the 
discussion  closed  by  an  invitation  to  any  of  our  party 
who  so  wished,  to  add  his  carcass  to  their  collection  if 
they  desired  a  specimen  of  that  nature — an  invitation 
which,  I  need  hardly  say,  was  not  accepted. 

The  natives  themselves  are  allowed  to  settle  the  dis- 
putes and  difficulties  arising  among  them:  these  are  but 
few  in  number  and  only  of  a  most  trivial  nature,  the 
conununity  being  as  quiet  and  orderly  a  one  as  can 
be  found  anywhere.  The  ordinary  disputes  are  those 
ai^sing  in  the  division  of  the  spoils  of  the  chase  or  some 
domestic  matters,  and  are  punished  by  depriving  the 
offender  of  a  part  or  all  of  his  share.  If  the  offense  is 
serious  enough,  his  effects  may  even  be  taken  away  from 
him  and  divided  amongst  the  injured  parties.  Some- 
times the  governor  takes  cognizance  of  an  offence  by 


R 


THE    VOY.U.E  OF   Ij/E   KITE.  65 

depriving  the  culprit  of  his  supplies  from  the  government 
store. 

The  natives  have  the  greatest  respect  and  affection  for 
the  Danish  officials.  The  strength  of  this  attachment  is 
shown  b>-  the  following  occurrence:  Some  >ears  ago  an 
inspector  and  native,  on  going  over  the  ice  to  a  distant 
settlement,  became  separated  from  the  shore  by  the  for- 
mation of  a  crack  or  seam.  The  native  was  able  to 
jump  across  the  fissure,  but  the  inspector,  being  a  much 
heavier  man  and  unused  to  such  feats,  found  it  impos- 
sible to  follow.  The  native  was  unwilling  to  leave  him 
and  proceed  to  the  settlement  for  assistance  unless  the 
inspector  furnished  him  with  a  note  stating  the  nature 
of  the  accident,  and  thus  relieve  him  of  blame.  This 
the  inspector  refused  to  do,  and  the  native  remained 
with  him.  determined  to  share  his  fate.  Fortunately, 
the  next  day  the  ice  came  together  and  enabled  both  to 
proceed  on  their  journey  in  safet\-. 

j\Ian\-  of  the  Eskimos  in  Danish  Cireenland  show  un- 
mistakable signs  of  admixture  with  the  white  race.  The 
resemblance  of  many  of  them  to  Europeans  both  in  color 
and  physiognomy  was  quite  marked,  being  due  to  the  in- 
termarriage of  the  natives  and  Danes  practised  in  the 
early  history  of  the  settlements.  This  was  encouraged 
at  that  time  by  the  Danish  government,  with  the  idea  of 
civilizing  the  inhabitants  and  improving  their  condition, 
thus  making  them  a  more  desirable  class  of  colonists. 
The  result  of  the  experiment  was,  howe\er,  far  from  sat- 
isfactory, a'.id  they  were  forced  to  abandon  it  long  ago. 
Instead  of  the  half-breeds  being   better  than  the  pure 


'In! 


I  ■I'll 

'  '■  ? 

,■     !   I'' 


Hi 


■ '  1' 


^1:J 


!;  » 


Ijfij 


I-  i\  ki 

\'\ 
ill 


m  ' 


66 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


natives,  I  was  informed  that  they  retained  all  the  objec- 
tionable characteristics  of  the  Eskimos  pins  the  vices  and 
bad  habits  which  the  Danes  themselves  had  imported. 
So  injnrions  were  the  effects  fonnd  to  be  that,  some  time 
later,  the  Danish  .government  ne<;otiated  treaties  with 
foreij^n  nations,  havin_u;  the  especial  object  of  protectinij^ 
the  natives  b\-  preventing  all  interconrse  between  them 
and  visitors  to  their  shores  except  nnder  the  strictest  pre- 
cantions  and  after  a  special  permission  had  been  ob- 
tained from  the  home  government.  A  copy  of  the  law 
on  this  subject,  now  in  force,  was  handed  to  ns  by  the 
governor  of  Upernavik.  Its  contents  are  given  under  the 
description  of  our  visit  to  that  ])lace. 

It  has  been  found  almost  impossible  to  civilize  or  ele- 
vate the  native  population  to  any  marked  extent.  The 
white  inhabitants  are  too  few  in  number  to  exert  any 
great  modifying  influence.  If  they  arrive  in  the  settle- 
ment after  having  grown  to  adult  age  in  a  more  civilized 
country,  then,  of  course,  they  retain  their  accustomed 
manners  and  mode  of  life  ;  but  if  a  child  is  born  to  any 
of  the  Danish  residents  in  Greenland,  they  do  not  dare 
allow  it  to  grow  to  maturity  in  the  country  of  its  birth, 
but  soon  transport  it  to  a  more  civilized  community.  It  so 
happened  that  just  before  our  last  visit  to  Godhavn,  on  our 
way  home,  one  of  the  Danish  officials  of  the  place  had 
had  a  son  born  to  him.  While  exhibiting  great  delight 
at  this  addition  to  his  family,  he  at  the  same  time  ex- 
pressed great  regret  that  it  would  be  with  him  but  a 
short  time.  He  stated  that  the  children  who  were  born 
of  Danish  parents  and  reared  in  Greenland  invariably 


'if 


-'. :» 


THE    VCVAGE  OF   THE  KITE. 


67 


acquired  the  iiirde  of  life  and  habits  of  the  natives. 
Their  nurses  and  playmates  are  necessarily  Eskimos, 
and,  even  when  sent  to  Denmark  at  (juite  an  early  age 
to  be  raised  and  educated,  it  is  difficult  to  eradicate  the 
traits  acquired  from  their  Kskimo  associates.  This  is 
indeed  a  sad  feature  of  the  life  of  the  few  whites  in  these 
far-awa\-  regions.  The  parents  iiave  to  ftice  the  terrible 
alternatives  of  either  seeing  their  children  growing  up 
ignorant  and  uncultured  at  home,  or  of  parting  with 
them  in  a  short  time  and  confiding  them  to  the  care  of 
strangers  in  a  more  enlightened  communitv  thousands 
of  miles  away.  The  Danish  officials  in  these  settlements 
are  cultured,  intelligent  men,  and  their  greatest  pleasure 
is  of  necessity  tlieir  domestic  life.  The  self-denial  that 
it  requires  of  them  to  send  their  children  away  to  be 
raised  can  only  be  appreciated  by  those  who  have  seen 
and  felt  the  utter  loneliness  that  pervades  this  desolate 
land.  As  a  reward  of  their  devotion,  however,  after 
serving  a  terui  of  years  in  Greenland  the\-  may  return 
to  Denmark,  and  then  receive  a  more  desirable  position 
in  their  country's  service  at  home. 

Godhavn  is  situated  on  a  peninsula  which  was  former- 
Iv  an  island  on  the  southern  coast  of  the  island  of  Disko. 
This  peninsula  is  joined  to  the  mainland  by  an  almost 
level  stretch  of  sandy  beach.  Crossing  this,  the  firsc  ob- 
ject in  sight  is  the  gravcxard  where  the  Christian 
Eskimos  lie  buried.  The  rude  wooden  crosses  and  well- 
kept  mounc's  made  it  look  like  a  village  cemetery  at 
home.  IMany  of  the  graves  had  wreaths  of  immortelles 
and  little  oflferings  upon  them,  and  all  showed  the  care 


'i     I. 

jiii; 

Mill 


'    ^? 


i  !l 


i.rfl 


:i 


:  r  ' 


68 


/A'  .lA'c/vc  s/:.is. 


and  attention  which  was  devoted  ])y  the  livin";  to  these 
restin<;-phiccs  of  the  dead.  A  simple  wooden  cross 
marked  the  head  of  each  grave,  and  in  this  conntry, 
where  wood  is  so  valnable,  tin's  sacrifice  represents  a 
hiV'^Q  amount  of  self-denial  in  order  to  keep  alive  the 
memory  of  the  dead.  Two  graves  interested  ns.  ( )ne 
was  marked  by  a  grave-stone  of  white  marble  elaboratelv 
carved  and  evidLUily  from  Denmark,  It  marked  the 
grave  of  Sophns  Theodore  Krarnp  vSmith,  formerlv  in- 
.spector  of  the  settlement.  The  letters  were  deeply  en- 
graved in  the  stone  and  gilded,  and  a  wreath  of  native 
flowers  hanging  about  the  arms  of  the  cross  showed  that 
in  the  hearts  of  some  at  least  their  former  ruler  was  not 
forgotten.  The  other  grave  was  certainly  that  of  an 
Englishn'.an;  a  small  cross  bore  the  name  David  Hume, 
though  wdio  he  was  and  whether  or  not  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  any  Arctic  exploring  party  we  were  unable  to 
a.scertain. 

Just  back  of  the  cemetery  rose  a  basaltic  ridge  form- 
ing a  sort  of  retaining-wall  to  the  great  cliff  which 
towered  two  thousand  feet  or  more  into  the  air.  It 
ended  on  a  level  plateau,  eternally  snow-crowned  and 
forming  an  inland  ice  cap  exactly  similar  to  that  of  the 
mainland  of  (xreenland.  Several  of  the  party  ascended 
the  mountains  under  the  guidance  of  Lieutenant  Pearv, 
who  had  lived  at  (iodhavn  several  weeks  on  his  former 
trip  to  Greenland.  They  described  the  climb  as  rough, 
but  not  excessively  difficult,  and  the  views  from  the 
mountain-top  as  indescribably  magnificent.  At  their  feet 
lay  the  peninsula  and  town  of  Godhavn,  with  Disko  Bay 


t'i 


'Ij 


'  (  . 


Hi'l 


i  ■  t 


>     'I 


■ill 


,  I J 


\i\:l 


THE    VOYAGE   OF   THE   KITE 


71 


and  Baffin  Bav  bevond.  Both  were  dotted  with  urtat 
and  little  icebergs  shining  like  silver  in  the  snnlight. 
The  ice  cap  was  fonnd  almost  as  level  as  a  floor. 

Another  party  explored  the  valley  of  a  river  called  on 
the  map  the  Red  River,  which  rnns  into  Disko  Bay 
abont  a  mile  west  of  Godhavn.  It  deserved  its  name,  for 
the  red  mnd  which  it  carried  down  from  the  sandstone 
cliffs  above  ga\e  it  a  decidedly  reddish  line.  It  occnpied 
what  had  anciently  been  a  glacier's  bed,  and  the  beauti- 
fnl  valley  (called  Blanzy  Dael,  or  Windy  \'alle\)  showed 
every  mark  of  former  glacier  action.  Protected  by  tow- 
ering cliffs,  it  was,  at  the  season  we  visited  it,  a  perfect 
flower-garden  of  wild  plants.  Yellow  poppies  nodded  on 
every  side,  while  many  other  flowers,  bine,  red,  and  white, 
were  fonnd  everywdiere.  The  ground  was  carpeted  with 
moss  and  a  few  grasses,  while  the  apologies  for  trees 
spread  their  twisted  limbs  close  to  the  gronnd  wherever 
the  roots  could  find  a  foothold.  As  the  valley  was  as- 
cended the  view  became  magnificent,  for  the  river  ran 
through  a  narrow  gorge  at  places  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  in  depth,  and  all  around  were  towering  mountains 
from  wdiich  icy  streams  ran  and  dashed  in  foaming  cas- 
cades over  the  cliffs  into  the  water  below.  Looking 
backward,  Disko  Bay  was  seen,  studded  with  icebergs, 
some  huge  in  size,  some  only  floating  blocks  of  ice.  The 
air  was  balmy,  and  the  water  of  the  bay  lay  calm  and 
tranquil  under  the  bright  sun,  and  all  was  as  pleasant  as 
a  spring  day  in  our  own  country.  Birds  and  insects  flew 
about  us;  among  them  were  the  snow  bunting  and  several 
pretty  little   butterflies  of  various  hues.     Altogether,  it 


1 

i 

, . 

■^ 

1 

i  ' 

-i  • 

\ 

'  (     ' 

■■ 

i'il 

'4 

i 

m 


i'; 


w\ 


il 
«l 

I 


'/a 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


was  hard  to  realize  that  one  was  so  deep  in  the  land  of 
the  niidnij^ht  sun. 

We  had  another  reminder  of  lionic  in  tlie  shape  of 
niosqnitoes,  which  flew  about  us  in  clouds  whenever  we 
reached  the  lower  levels.  The\'  were  hardly  as  venom- 
ous as  our  New  Jersey  product,  but  at  times  were  very 
persistent  and  annoyinj^-.  The  only  tliin<;s  that  failed  to 
remind  us  of  a  land  nearer  home  were  the  absence  of  u])- 
rij^ht  trees  and  the  ])resence  of  the  icebergs.  The  trees, 
so  called,  were  mere  bushes,  perfectly  flattened  to  the 
ground,  and  sending  up  a  few  shoots  six  or  eight  inches 
high,  but  with  leaves  and  flowers  exactly  like  those  of 
our  own  willows.  They  often  formed  convenient  cush- 
ions when  we  wished  to  rest. 

After  we  had  returned  to  the  ship  Mr.  Verhoeff"  de- 
clared that  the  water  looked  so  pleasant  that  he  would 
swim  from  the  ship  to  the  shore  and  back  again.  Those 
wdio  heard  the  assertion  attempted  to  dissuade  him, 
pointing  to  the  numerous  icebergs  which  floated  about 
in  every  direction.  Even  when  he  stripped  we  all 
thought  that  a  single  plunge  would  serve  to  make  him 
change  his  mind.  Meanwhile  a  crowd  of  curious  natives 
had  gathered  around,  and  were  gazing  at  him  in  mild 
astonishment.  Finally  he  took  the  plunge,  and  at  once 
started  swimming  vigorously  for  the  shore.  Alarmed  for 
his  .safety,  and  fearing  that  a  cramp  might  overtake  him, 
I  jumped  into  Mr.  Carsten's  little  boat,  which  was  moored 
alongside  the  ship,  and  followed  him,  being  prepared  to 
render  assistance  if  it  was  needed.  He  reached  the  shore 
in  safety,  however,  and,  turning  resolutely  around,  swam 


Tin:  loY.K.E  OF  HIE  kite. 


n 


back  to  the  vessel,  a  distance  of  abuiil  two  liiuulied 
yards.  He  re<  cived,  of  course,  an  ovation,  l)ut  was  al- 
most >  I  once  taken  with  a  chill  which  at  one  time  looked 
serious.  A  vigorous  rubbinj;  restored  his  circulation  to 
its  normal  condition,  and  a  brief  rest  made  him  as  well 
as  ever.  It  was  rej^arded,  however,  as  a  oolharcK-  feat, 
and  one  which  none  were  anxious  to  emnhite.  The-  effect 
on  the  natives  of  the  sij^ht  of  a  swinnninj;  man  was  most 
curious.  They  re}.;arded  him  with  constantly  j^rowing 
astonishment.  In  (ireenland  the  only  use  they  know  for 
water  is  for  drinkinj^  jjurposcs.  Probably  man\'  of  them 
had  accidentally  fallen  into  the  water,  but  they  dread 
and  hate  its  eflects  as  much  as  does  a  c;it.  They  know 
nothinj;  of  the  art  of  swimming. 

During  the  stay  of  our  ship  at  this  ])la<  the  natives 
were  constantly  coming  and  gohig  aboard  of  it,  lud  we 
were  told  that  during  the  time  a  ve.s.sel  is  l>ing  at  anchor 
in  the  harbor  they  sleep  but  little.  jNIidnight  being  as 
bright  as  mid-day,  and  having  no  knowledge  of  time  or 
clocks,  they  did  not  .seem  to  understand  that  the  rest  of 
us  needed  .some  repcse.  They  appeared  to  have  no  i  egular 
time  for  sleep. 

Notwithstanding  the  freedom  allowed  the  visitors,  we 
did  not  miss  anything,  and  they  were  liermitted  to  roam 
about  at  pleasure. 

Their  favorite  re.sort  was  the  cook's  galley.  Here 
they  eagerly  sought  any  remains  of  food  or  refuse  he  was 
pleased  to  give  them,  and  devoured  it  greedil\-.  Their 
capacity  was  sim])ly  enormous.  To  test  it  the  experi- 
ment was  made  on  a  veteran  wdio  had  established  for 


\ 


W: 


■-'! 


^j}" 


'& 


Mr: 


74 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


liiinself  a  reputation  for  ^M^rmaiuli/iiij;  which  was 
"founded  on  a  rock."  It  was  said  that  he  and  his 
wife,  ha\  in<;  killed  a  seal  at  some  distance  from  the 
settlement,  sat  down  on  a  rock  and  proceeded  to  devour 
the  animal.  A  larjj^e  proportion  was  consumed,  and  they 
ate  until  they  were  so  en<;or^ed  as  to  be  unable  for  a  day 
or  two  to  start  back  to  the  settlement.  We  took  this  in- 
teresting individual  down  into  the  cabin,  and,  after  the 
party  had  finished  thc'r  meal,  began  feedinj,^  him  on  the 
remains.  Salt  beef,  bread,  potatoes,  coHle,  vc<:^etables, 
and  everything;  edible  disappeared  down  his  throat  with 
startlin<;  rapidity.  He  ate,  and  ate,  and  ate,  until,  after 
haviu};  consumed  more  than  enouj^h  for  four  or  five  men, 
and  still  showing  no  signs  of  being  satisfied,  he  was  re- 
tpiested  to  stop  and  escorted  up  again  on  deck.  After  wit- 
nessing his  performance  none  of  us  had  any  doubt  as  to 
the  truth  of  the  story  concerning  his  gastronomic  opera- 
lions  on  the  seal,  as  just  detailed. 


!■,''! 


I  .  ) 


ilA 


CHAPTER   V. 

FaRKWEM-    To    (lOnil.WV.— AkKIVAI,    at    I'l'llUNAVIK.-    XhTICK 

TO  Marixivks  in  Till-;  Davis  vStraits.— Thk  ,Sktti,i;mi;nt 
AND  ITS  Inhabitants.— DrcK  Islands. 

OX  Monday,  June  29tli,  we  had  intended  leaviniij 
(iodhavn  early  in  the  niornin?^,  btit  the  weather 
being-  thick  and  misty,  we  could  not  j^^et  out  of  the  har- 
bor until  the  fog  lifted,  which  occurred  about  noon-time. 
Mr.  Koch,  his  wife,  and  little  daughter  arrived  on  the 
ship  a  few  minutes  before  sailing-time,  to  say  good-bye. 
Mr.  Carsten.s  also  came  to  bid  us  farewell.  He  came  out 
in  a  small  skiff  proi^elled  by  two  paddle-wheels,  one  on 
each  side,  which  he  workv^d  by  means  of  a  crank  while 
seated  in  the  centre  of  the  boat.  It  was  an  ingenious 
little  craft  of  his  own  construction,  and  was  named  the 
Fultoii.  After  he  departed  we  weighed  anchor  and  gave 
a  parting  salute,  which  was  answered  from  the  shore, 
and  we  then  bade  good-bye  to  the  pleasant  little  place. 
We  had  enjoyed  our  sta}-  very  much,  and  hoped  to  have 
the  pleasure  of  repeating  it  on  our  return  from  the  regions 
farther  north. 

We  were  soon  again  on  the  open  sea,  sailing  north- 
ward toward  Upernavik. 

The  change  from  the  strange  sights  at  Godhavn  to 


illiil! 
;l! 


■  i  i< 


V  : 


p 


76 


/A'  .IA'C//C  s/:.Ls. 


tlu'  quiet,  inonotonv  oftlir  octviu  was  not  nni^ratcful,  for 
all  \v(.'iv  ralluT  liivd  Iroiii  oiir  c'.\|Kii(.iicc  wIiiK'  in  port. 
We  steamed  iioilliward  aloii^  tiu'  eoasl,  in  si,L',lit  of  the 
land,  all  that  da\-,  the  whole  of  the  following;  one,  and 
until  I  )nr  o'eloek  the  next  morning,  when  we  sighted 
U]KM-navik.  This  plaee  is  ahont  one  hn.ndred  and  cij^-lity 
miles  noriii  ofCHxlhavn,  in  latitude  J2"  .jo'.  The  coast 
between  these  two  ].laees  resembled  that  i-elow  ( iodhaxn. 
It  w;is  oi  the  same  monr.'ainons  eharacler,  and  showed 
no  pecnliar  characteristics. 

In  a|)])roacliin,L;  Cpernavik  the  harbor  is  even  moredif- 
ficnlt  to  discover  than  was  that  of  (lodhavn,  there  bein-j; 
no  ])r()mi.ient  landmarks  in  the  vicinity.  Captain  Pike 
had,  howc'vr,  been  there  several  times  before,  and  found 
the  entrance  without  difficulty.  The  approaches  to  the 
settlement  are  (piite  tortuous,  it  bcin,^-  necessarv  to  wind 
in  and  out  anions  several  small  i;;lands  ])efore  th"  place 
is  readied.  On  ncarin,-^  the  settlement  the  customarv 
.salute  was  fired,  which  was  responded  to  some  little  while 
after.  We  arrived  durino;  the  time  of  the  day  when 
most  of  the  iuhal)itants  were  aslee]).  A  few  natives, 
however,  witUv'ssed  our  arrival,  haj^iKMiin.!:;-  to  ])e  up  and 
about  at  the  time,  and  they  we'e  soon  joined  bv  the  en- 
tire pt)j)ulation. 

The  .governor  and  assistant  "governor  came  out  in  a 
boat  to  see  ns,but  were  not  so  a.s;reeable  as  our  friends  at 
(iodhavn.  This  may  have  been  due.  in  part,  to  the 
weatlu-r,  which  was  cold,  rainy,  and  disaorc-able,  and 
also,  ])erhai)s,  to  our  makin.LC  t-li^-'i"  l<-'ave  their  warm  beds 
at  such  an   early   hour.      We  too  were  not  feelinj;  very 


/ ///■;  lo) : !(,/■:  ( >/■   i ///•;  av / /■;. 


n 


social  )k\  causid,  no  doul)!,  1>\-  iIr-  aljoiuiiiahk'  wtatlitr  aii.l 
!)\'  or.r  lia\in,i;  rem  liiu'l  on  (kck  without  an\'  sliip  for 
inanN'   liours,  waitiii''    tor  oiir  ani\al   al  ihr  sctlk'nunt. 


11^ 


The  N'isit  of  the  (»irK'ials  was  ot  sliorl  (hiration  and  \  er\- 
tonuak  Tlie\-  read  to  lis  an  extract  tVoni  the  I)anish  law 
i; overnini:;  tliese  selllenienls,  and  left  a  cop}',   printed  in 


78 


/N  .ih'c/'/c  s/-:.is. 


Danisli    and    iCn^lisli,  with    Cajitaiii    Pike.      It  read    as 
folKnvs: 


NoTICK   TO   TxrARIXKRS    IN    TirK    D.WIS    vStrAITS. 
The  IJoard  of  Directors  of  the  Royal  (Greenland  trade 
make  known: 

1.  It  is  a,t;reed  !)>•  treaties  l)et\veen  the  royal  Danish 
<;()\cTnnient  and  the  United  vSlates  of  America,  (ireat 
liritain,  and  other  vStates  that  the  west  coast  of  (Green- 
land, ])etween  latitn<le  6;)'"  and  7;^'^,  ])e  closed  for  na\-i,t;a- 
tion  of  f()rei_i;n  shi])S  and  Danish  ships,  except  bv  special 
j^ermission  of  the  ro\  al  Danish  government,  l)y  whom 
tin.'  mon<)j)()ly  of  trade  with  (Greenland  is  held. 

2.  Pnrsnant  to  ihe  laws  in  force,  any  ship  navi<^atinf^ 
without  ])ermission  on  the  west  coast  of  Cireenland  may 
he  seixed,  where\er  met  with,  and  the  ship  and  goodi? 
be  confiscated.  vSimilar  ])nnishment  may  be  a])plied  if 
any  person  or  ])ersons  be  fonnd  tradin<^  with  the  (rreen- 
landers  or  Danish  col<_)nisls  from  a  ship  l\ing-  in  a  port  of 
Cireenland  or  off  the  coast. 

3.  Shii)niasters  compelled  by  .shijnvreck  or  other 
canses  to  seek  port  in  (ireenland  shall  not  remain  in  ])ort 
lon.tjer  than  necessar\-.  Shi])masters  shall  also  be  re- 
s])onsible  U)x  their  crews  not  remaininj^^  on  shore  witlunit 
necessit}-  or  in  aii\-  wa\-  tradinj.;;  with  the  natives,  with 
whom  all  intercourse  is  altogether  prohibited. 

4.  'iMic  object  of  i)rohibitino-  the  navi.gation  of  the 
west  coast  of  Greenland  and  of  maintaininj^'-  the  monopoh' 
ot  trade  is  to  protect  the  nati\e  population  of  (ireenland. 
This  ])oi)nlation   will   be  threatened  with  ruin  if  conta- 


After  a  short  conversation  the  _novLrn(M- and  his  assist- 
ant --.Inrnc'd  to  tlie  shore. 

Viewed  from  the  sliij),  tlie  settlement  was  seen  to  l)e 
smaller  and  not  so  attractive  and  ])ietiires(ine  as  that  of 
(k)dha\-n.  \'e<^etation  was  c\en  nioie  scarity,  and  the 
place  had  ([nite  a  desolate  and  drcr.ry  ai)])earanee.  It 
contained  two  dwellin<;-honses,  one  for  the  j^overnor  and 
the  other  for  the  assistant  governor  ;  there  were  also  a 
coni)le  of  storehouses,  an(^  a  stone  blnhber-honse  where 
the  fats  and  oils  were  rendered  and  prepared  for  shi))- 
ment.  These  l)nildin<j^s  were  similar  in  style  to  those 
which  we  had  seen  atCicxlhavn,  bnt  smaller  and  less  pre- 
tentions. The  Danish  flaii^  floated  from  a  flagstaff  placed 
in  front  of  the  i^overnor's  honse. 

The  nati\-e  lints,  abont  t\venty-fi\e  in  nHnil)er,  were 
smaller  and  more  dilapidated  than  those  of  the  lower  set- 
tlement. They  are  sitnated  at  the  foot  of  a  nionntain, 
the  water  from  the  meltini^  snow  and  ice  of  which  trickled 
down  thron.nh  the  \illa,ne,  niakini,;  e\-er\thin^  wet  md 
nnidd\-.  We  did  not  ])nsh  onr  in\(.sti;.^atiiMis  viTy  lar 
into  these  hoxels.  The  nali\c-s,  innnberinL,'' about  i  hnn- 
,  dred,   are  a  miserable,   po\ert\-strieken   looking  set    of 


nil:   ro.K.i-:  oi-   iiii-  kiif.. 


79 


t^ious  diseases  l)e  l)ron,^ht  into  the  conntr\',  or  if  sj)iiit- 
nous  licpiors  or  other  similar  articles  be  im])()rted.  'I'he 
board  will,  therefore,  be  ol)li,!.^fd  to  demand  that  the  order 
])rohil)itiniL,r  the  navij.i;ation  of  (ireenland  in  e\er\'  way  be 
respected,  in  case  the  crew  of  any  shiji  shonld  not  stricilv 
abstain  from  all  interconrse  with  the  nati\e  ])oi)nlation. 

C(ii'iN!i,\(;i:\,  Miiy  Sill,  1884. 


1^ 

ln.1 


'i'!l! 


<Su 


/x  ARciic  sri.is. 


mortals.  They  had  nolhiiii!::^  to  trade  nor  to  sell  but  a  fevv 
birds'  e<^<;s.  We  bon.L;ht  some  of  tliese,  and  fonnd  them 
j^ood  eatin.tj^;  tliev  were  the  e,^^,<^s  of  the  wild  dneks  that 
freqnented  the  neij^hborliood. 

We  were  told  that  a  whale-sliip  liad  called  there  a 
few  weeks  before  our  arrival,  and  the  natives  had  then 
sold  all  that  the\'  had  to  dispose  (jf.  It  was  fortunate  for 
lis  that  we  had  obtained  onr  snjiph'  of  fur  clothin,^-  at 
Godhavn,  as  otherwise  we  would  have  been  unable  to 
have  o'otten  any.  We  went  ashore,  but  onh-  stayed  a 
cou])le  of  hours,  as  the  ])lace  possessed  little  of  interest 
and  the  weather  was  <lisa<j^reeable. 

A  dozen  or  more  natives  came  out  to  the  ship  in  their 
kajaks.  These  native  boats  are  made  of  seal-skins  sewn 
together  and  tif^htly  stretched  over  a  lij^ht  framework  of 
wood  and  bone,  the  seams  beint;  sewn  so  earefull\-  as  to 
be  water- tii>ht.  They  are  about  si.xteen  feet  lon<^,  less 
than  fifty  pounds  in  weij^ht,  and  just  wide  enou<^h  to 
accommodate  a  sin^i^le  person,  who  sits  in  the  centre,  on 
the  bottom  of  the  boat.  They  are  sharp  at  the  extrem- 
ities, which  curve  slightly  upward,  and  are  decked  over 
with   skins,    except  a  small  opening  in   the  centre,  in 


K\,\K    AM)    I'AiiDI  !•■.. 


which-  the  occupant  sits.      This  opening  is  so  snuill  that 
it  requires  some  force  and  skill  on  the  [)art  (jf  the  kajakcr 


i  P  i 


'////■:  ro ):!(,/■  or  riir.  kiir. 


8r 


to  ])lacc  liiniself  in  ]iosition  without  ca]isizin,i;;  so  thai  in 
attcinptiiii^^  to  iL,K-t  in  they  iisiuiIU-  steady  the  l)(>at  with 
a  paddk'  j)Ut  in  the  water  oxer  the  side.  After  beinij^ 
seated  an  ai)ron  made  of  skin  is  drawn  around  tliein  and 
tied  fast  nnder  tlie  arms,  ihns  prexentin,^-  an\  water  from 
enterin<»-  the  boat.  If,  liowever,  it  shouhl  eapsize,  thev 
are  nnabh.  to  _!4et  h)o.,e,  and  are  often  (howned.  Thex' 
nse  a  donble-l)laded  ])addle  made  of  wood,  and  ]n'o])el 
their  boats  with  ,L^real  velocil\-  in  all  eonditions  oi  sea 
and  weather. 

Fastened  to  the  boat  by  means  of  leather  thoni^s  are 
the  harpocMi  and  spears  which  they  use  in  huntini:;. 


A    K  \J\ki:K.    V\  I  RN  \\  IK 

While  waiide  rim;  thron^h  ihe  vilai^e  our  attenti'U 
was  attracted  l)y  a  nalivr  who  was  evidently  ill.  (Mi  in- 
quiry we  found  th.it  he  was  sidlerin,!;  from  an  old  injury 


82 


/A'  .lA'C/VC  s/-:.is. 


U)  the  ii,L;lil  shonldfr.  Ivvaiiiiuin.Li  liim  inoR-  closth-,  an 
opcniii'^-  was  scc-ii  e-xU-ndin!^'-  downw  ird  two  or  llircu 
inches  from  the  point  ot"  the  siiouhler.  In  the  ea\ity 
tlms  e.\])osed  hare  dead  l)one  was  visihlc;  lliis  was  de- 
taehc-d  witli  the  fin.^er  and  removed,  and  i)roved  to  he 
tlie  remains  of  tlie  liead  of  the  arni-hont-.  lie  liad  cvi- 
dcntlv  l)een  without  treaLnunl,  and  must  liave  been 
snfferin.^  for  months.  When  we  saw  him  the  \vonnd 
had  received  no  attention  wliatever,  and  wiis  ()!ily  ])ro- 
tecled  hv  thi-  fur  coat  which  lie  wore.  Tlie  dead  bone 
ha\in.^:  i)een  removed,  the  wound  wouhl  start  at  once  to 
heal,  and  ])rol)al)ly  in  a  short  time  was  entirely  closed, 
ihoUL^h  the  use  of  his  arm  would  he  impaired. 

The   weather  bein.u;  thick   and    lo.i^^i^y,    the   ship   was 
detained   until  12  o'clock,  when  we  i^ot  to  sea  and  bade 
uood-bve  to  Upernavik.      The  j-overnor  and  his  assistant 
were  the  last  white  men  we  encountered  on   the  north- 
ward trip.      rjK-ruavik  is  in  latitude  72'  40',  and  is  the 
last    Danish    .settlemen'.,    with    the    exception  of  a  .still 
smaller  one  called  Tnssiacic,  sitiuited  twenty  or  twenty- 
fi\e  miles  further  north.      We  d"  1  not  stop  there,  becanse 
it   was  diOicult  of  access   and   insi<;iiificant.,    and   would 
(julv   have  detained   us   unnecessarily.       We  understood 
that    the    .settlement   was   almost    abandoned,    no   white 
men  livini:;   there.      lievond  this  latitude   Denmark  has 
no  jurisdiction  nor  rein-esentatives.      In  the  afternoon  the 
weather  cleared  u]),    manv  iceberiis  ccMiiin^r  ai^ain    into 
si<;ht.      We  saw  a  native  in  his  kajak,  about  three  miles 
from   the  shi]),  in   the   vicinitv  of  several   small   islands. 
lie  was  miles  awaN'  from  an\-  known  settlement,  and  we 


////■;  \() )!(,/■:  (>/■■  ////•;  h///-:. 


83 


did    not  ciuy  him    his   h)nfly  lift-.      (  )ii  ()l)siT\in!:;-  liini 
lhr()U|L;h   tlu-    mariiu-   .i;lass   he-    njijjeMud   lo    \)v    coiiiiiii^ 


toward  ns,  l)iit,  sceinLi  that  we  l<e])t  on  our  wa\',  fnialU' 
tnrncd  about  and   ]>;iddk'(l  back   to  liis  island. 

Ivirh-  tlu'  tollowiu',^  Miornin«;- we  readied  I)ui'i<  Islands. 
These  were  well  named,  as  the\  teemed  with  ducks  and 


I* 


II 


!l 


if 


I 


84 


IN  Ah'C77C  SIC.IS. 


all  kind  of  water- fowl.     We  shot  about  three  hundred 
of  them,  and  ^nithered  three  barrels  of  e!j:j;s  in  about  hall 
an   hour.      We   also   filled    several    lar^e   ba^s   with  the 
eider-down    with    which    the    nests   were    lined.      These 

islands  were  about  two 
miles  in  rircumferenee, 
rather  hilly,  but  not 
nunuitainous,  and  en- 
tirely free  from  ice  and 
snow.  The  nests  were 
not  concealed  in  crev- 
ices in  the  rocks,  but 
lav  exposed  on  the  .ground,  in  nuiny  places  but  a  few 
feet  apart.  They  each  contained  from  three  to  six  laro;e 
^rreenish  e<ros.  The  duck  <  themselves  were  so  tame  that 
thev  would  remain  on  their  nests  until  we  were  so  near 
as  to  almost  orasp  them. 

The  .ship  was  not  anchored  at  these  islands,  but 
steamed  .slowdy  around  them  until  the  small  boats  which 
had  taken  us  ashore  had  returned.  This  i)rocedure  was 
necessarv  in  order  to  avoid  a  collision  with  the  laroe  ice- 
bergs which  were  continually  driftinj^-  about  us. 


Nl.sr    (IK    Till'.    IJUKK    lU'i  K. 


i.MJ 

nil 


t    '■  I 


CHAPTER   VI. 

C(ii,i,.\i'siNf;  OF  AN  IcKiu.KC,.  —  In  THi-;  Mi;iAiM,ic  Hay  Tack.— 
1''loks  and  Tans.— Huttinc.  tiii:    Ick. — Arctic  »Spokt. — 

LliaTENANT    I'i;aI<Y    nuivAKS   HIS    LiCG. 

S(  )C)N  after  getting  under  way  we  observed  the  inter- 
esting sight  of  an  immense  iceberg  collapsing  and 
falling  into  the  sea  with  a  noise  like  the  loudest  thunder. 
The  reverberations  were  remarkable,  and  lasted  ({uite 
two  minutes.  Many  times  before  we  had  heard  these 
tliunderings  and  knew  their  cause,  but  this  was  the  first 
time  that  we  were  near  enough  to  see  the  interesting 
phenomenon.  This  large  mass  of  ice  falling  into  the  sea 
caused  considerable  agitation  of  the  water,  and  our  ship, 
although  at  least  one  mile  away,  was  very  perceptibly 
roc'ied  by  the  waves  so  produced. 

Toward  afternoon  a  prominent  landmark  came  inti) 
view.  This  was  a  peculiarly  shaped  mountain  on  the 
(jreenland  coast,  known  as  the  Devil's  Thumb.  It  is 
2347  feet  in  height,  and,  towering  far  above  the  sur- 
romiding  mountains,  looks  like  a  gigantic  thumb  ex- 
tending tipward  from  a  hand.  This  marks  the  entrance 
to  the  dreaded  Melville  Hay.  It  was  not  long  before  we 
encountered  a  heavy  floe  of  ice,  and  made  but  little 
progress.  After  a  few  hours'  steaming  we  found  what 
appeared  to  be  a  lead  or  opening  in  the  ice,  which  was 

86 


frr 


86 


/.\'  ./A'(  77('  .s/;. /.v. 


iinnivdialc'K-  followid,  hut  tlu'  watiT  s\rdi\-  soon   I'vCaiiR- 

iiioiv  and  nioiv  i-oiilracUd  and  wt-  i^radualh-  lo>l  iR'ad- 

In   ouf    hour  llu'  ice  had  iiol  only  closer'  in  Ironl 

»r  us,  1/Ut  aslfiu  also,  and  advancf  and  ivlival  wire-  alike 


\va\ 


ini] 


)()SS 


ibU 


,So  much  coal  was  used  in  our  search  lor  a 


wav  on 


tunc  l)cin< 


I   that    llic   ca])lain   ,na\c    u])    the  allenipt   tor  the 
We   had   onl\-  worked   our  wa\-  about    five 


miles  throuj^h  the  lloe  when  we  found  our  passa.^e  thus 
blocked.  To  our  ri.^lit  the  Devil's  Tlunnb  was  visible, 
aUhou,i;h  (|uite  fifty  miles  away.  In  front  of  us  and  to 
our  k-ft  the  ici-  stretched  as  far  as  the  e>  e  could  reach. 
I\ven  from  the  mast-head  no  water  was  to  be  seen  but 
that  to  the  south  bv  which  we  had  approached.  The  ice 
was  (plite  level,  except  in  places  where  some  of  the 
"pans"    had    been    jammed    up   al)o\e    the    surface  or 


w 


here  lar<'e  icebergs  were  imprisoned  in  the  mass. 


Tl 


lere  was  a 


bout  a  foot  of  snow  on  the  ice,  and  in  this 
were  seen  the  tracks  of  the  polar  bear;  for  Melville  P.ay 
is  known  to  be  a  favorite  ])lace  of  resort  for  these  ani- 
mals. It  is  their  habit  to  wander  over  the  lar^e  ice-floes 
in  search   of  seals,   and   this  bay,    so  commonly  full   of 


floatinir    ice,    forms    a    <;()o( 


1    huntinu-uround    for   them. 


These,  the   iirs 


4  bear-tracks  that  we  had  seen,  caused  u- 


all  t'i  ])rei)are  o 


ir  t^uns  in  anticipation  of  a  slight  of  this 


much-wished-for  .i;ame;  but  althou.^h  we  kept  a  sharj) 
lookout  for  manv  hours,  our  vi.^il  was  unrewarded,  as  we 
failed   to  see  a   sinj^le  one.      Several   i)hoto.^raphs  were 


taken  ol   this  drearv  scene  a 


t  midni.^hl.     The  following- 
(lav  the   ice   loosened   somewhat  and  we  were  able  to  ad- 


vance a   few  mi 


lies,  buL  at    s  ''•  •'^'-  '*'^'^-"  '^'''*-' 


w  airain   stuck 


nil:   i()).i(,i:  Of  nil.  kiii'.. 


87 


liard  and  fast.  After  sc'\-i'ial  atlriii])ts  wt-  <^\\\k:  tip  all 
hope  of  inakin;^  aii\  luoL^ri^'^  that  uii^ht.  'I'lif  ici.'  was 
\iTV  lKa\  >•,  l)iiii<;  six  loci.^lil  ki-l  thick,  and   nioNtnunl 


A   miiiMi:h  I    M  I  M., 


in  an\-  diifction  was  iinpossil)]^,  as  licaxy  cakes  or  fields 
of  ice  surronnded  us  on  all  sides,  some  ol  tlKs<-  lieini^ 
nian\-  acres  in  I'xtent.  ( )nr  hope  was  that  on  tlu'  mor- 
row a  clianj4e  of  wind  or  tide  would  free  ns  and  permit 
our  onward   pro^^ress. 

We  were  now  fairl\-  in  tin-  Mel\-ille  I'>a\-  pack.  This 
l)a\-  is  nex'cr  frie  from  ice,  and  is  alwa\s  a  dani^irous  and 
difficult  place  to  tra\erse.      At  midnif^ht,  the  I'\)nrlli  of 


} 

^. 


.^^1i^ 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


r^O 


1.0 


I.I 


128    125 


1^  m 


■  2.2 

2f  144    ■" 


2.0 


L25  III  1.4 


Nil: 

IJ4 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


a?  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WHSTIR.N.Y.  MSN 

(716)  •72-4S03 


^'4^^ 


^^ 


;\ 


\ 


lV 


^V'#^\ 


^^^"k 


"^V- 
^ 


,^ 


^\<if 


'-^'  >^ 


4^ 


% 


'^ 


\m 


III  wfi' 


8S 


/.v  .iA'c//i   .s/-;./.v. 


July  was  nslKTfd  in  ])y  firing  the  ship's  cannon  and  a 
volk\  of  nniskclry.  Wc  then  ran  np  tlic  AniL-rican  flaj^s 
at  thf  fore- and  niiz/t-n-niasts,  dijjpt-d  tlu'  i-nsijj^n,  and  <^ave 
three  hearl\'  cheers.  While  here  imprisoned  some  photo- 
j^raphs  of  onr  ship  in  holi(la\-  attire  were  taken,  and  two 
seals  were  shot  and  added  to  onr  larder.  At  noon  the 
ice  .seemed  to  loosen  somewhat,  and  \n  l)ackin<j  the  ship 
a  conple  of  len<;ths  and  j^oinj^  ahead  at  fidl  speed  we 
were  able  to  force  onr  wa\  thron}.;^h  enonj^h  of  the  ob- 
strnctinj^  ice  to  jj;ain  .some  open  water. 

This  bnltinj^and  ponndin^  of  the  ice  cost  ns  over  two 
tons  of  coal  to  mo\e  only  fiftx-  feet,  which  was  a  very 
.serions  matter  to  ns  should  the  necessity  for  it  often 
arise,  as  we  were  far  from  any  snpply  of  coal  and  would 
need  all  we  carried  to  enable  ns  to}.jet  back  to  St.  John's. 
We  were  niakinj^  two  or  three  knots  an  hour,  which  was 
very  enconra}j^injj[  headway  throuj^h  such  heavy  ice. 

At  last  the  lookout  man  from  the  mast-head  imparted 
to  ns  the  cheerful  intelli}.jence  of  more  open  water  ahead. 
I'Vom  the  topmast  a  fine  view  for  many  miles  around 
could  be  had,  this  elevated  positi«)n  not  being  .so  exposed 
and  disa}.^^reeable  as  one  would  ima<;ine. 

In  common  with  other  Arctic  whalers,  onr  .sliij)  was 
])rovided  with  what  is  known  as  a  "crow's  nest."  This 
consists  of  a  large  barrel  bolted  securely  to  the  top  of  the 
foremast.  It  is  provided  with  a  seat  and  lined  with  furs. 
Surrounding  the  toj)  of  the  barrel  and  extending  about  a 
foot  from  its  etlge  is  a  light  iron  railing  on  which  the 
lookout  rests  the  telescope.  The  entrance  is  through  a 
trap-door   in  the  bottom,  whicli  is  closed  after  getting 


THE    lOY.H,!-:   OF   Till:    Kill-: 


89 


inside,  and  tlnis  forms  a  floor  to  this  lofly  iktcIi.  Access 
to  the  crow's  nest  is  obtained  by  means  of  a  swinj^injj^ 
ladder  leadinj^  from  the  cross-trees  to  the  bottom  of  the 
cask. 

After  workinj:^  all  nij^dit  we  came  tea  full  stoj)  at  S 
A.  M.,  and  then  made  no  proj^rcss  for  some  lime  except 
with  the  drift  of  the  ice,  which  seerued  to  be  movint; 
northward.  Snow  and  iain  fell  alternately  thronj^h  the 
day,  and  kept  us  below  deck.  Some  of  the  men  went  on 
the  ice  to  look  for  seals,  but  returned  in  a  few  hours  with 
no  larger  ,i;ame  than  an  ivory  <;ull  {Ca:'ia  .l/Zxi),  a  bird 
never  met  with  south  of  (irecnland.  This  was  the  first 
one  we  had  seen,  and  a  beautiful  bird  it  was,  havinjj;  the 
color  and  gloss  of  pure  ivory.  We  were  no  longer  in 
sight  of  land;  whether  this  was  due  to  having  drifted  too 
far  to  the  westward  or  to  the  thickness  of  the  atmosphere 
it  was  impossible  to  determine,  and  we  were  com])elled 
to  await  the  appearance  of  the  sun  or  a  clearing  up  of  the 
weather.  The  snow  continued  to  fall  until  six  o'clock 
the  next  morning,  and,  although  not  heavy  enough  to 
remain  long  on  the  deck,  was  sufficient  to  increase  the 
whiteness  of  the  surrounding  ice.  The  day  being  didl 
and  misty,  the  glare  was  not  so  trying  on  the  eyes  as  if 
the  sun  had  been  shining. 

The  prospect  of  our  leaving  the  ice  was  as  bad  as 
the  weather.  Xo  attempt  was  made  to  move  the  ship, 
as  from  the  crow's  nest  no  water  could  be  .seen.  The 
weather  being  so  thick,  it  would  have  been  impossible  to 
.see  the  land  even  if  it  were  no  further  distant  than  when 
we  first  entered  the  pack.     We  had  undoubtedly  drifted 


!    i 

•  '  i 

f 


'v, 


i 


i! 


1'! 


i 


Jiff 


wiff 


'm 


nil 


I 


WW 


l)<> 


AV  .IA'(  //(    s/:.is. 


8!  ' 


iiiatiN'  inik'S  with  llif  ice,  but  iti  what  direction  wc  knew 
not.  Anxious  as  wc  all  were  to  i^et  northwaid,  beinj^ 
fast  in  the  ice  had  not  only  l>ec(jnie  monotonous,  hut 
even  more  serious  tiian  we  had  at  fust  thou<;ht.  It  was 
necessary  to  use  considerable  coal,  e\en  if  the  furnace 
fires  had  to  be  banked  and  onlv  cuouj^h  steam  kept  up 
to  enable  us  to  move  as  opporlunit)'  arose.  The  next 
day  found  the  ice  still  firm  and  fast  about  us.  ( )ccasional 
lijj;ht  snow-S(iualls  were  experienced,  but  about  noon  the 
sun  showed  itself  lon^  cuouj^h  to  allow  us  to  take  an 
approximate  observation,  and  by  usin<i;  a  horizon  of  ice 
the  latitude  was  found  to  be  about  75°.  We  were  unable 
to  jjct  the  lonjj^itude,  and  so  could  not  determine  the 
distance  we  were  ofT  from  the  coast  of  Greenland.  Xo 
land  had  been  in  si).jht  for  .several  days.  The  followin<j 
day  also  was  cloudy  and  dull,  with  snow-s(iualls  in  the 
afternoon.  We  were  ajiparently  as  hard  and  fast  in  the 
ice  as  ever,  with  no  indications  of  bein.i^able  to  move  for 
some  tiine.  An  observation  showed  that  we  had  drifted 
three  miles  in  a  southerly  direction.  The  temperature 
averaged  31"  I'ahrenheit,  the  lowest  l)ein.t^  28°.  The 
weather  was  cold  and  cloudy,  and  the  trost  about  the 
ship  and  ri<.;!.;in<^  JL^ave  everythin.ij  a  white  and  phantom- 
like appearance.  The  little  water  that  was  visible  be- 
tween the  cakes  of  ice  and  around  the  ship  had  become 
fro/.en,  and  made  ice  a  (puirter  of  an  inch  thick. 

Our  ])osition  was  raj)idly  assuming;  a  more  <;ra\-e 
aspect,  as  we  had  now  no  immediate  hope  of  beini;  able 
to  i^et  out  of  the  pack.  riie  delay  was  beomiui;  still 
more  tedious  and  wearisome.    We  had  nothing;  to  do,  and 


mi:   \oy.i(,i:  oj-  mi:  kill-: 


91 


notliiii}^  was  to  hi'  seen  but  ice,  ice  everywhere.  Once  in 
a  while  a  seal  ai)peare<l,  but  ver\  shy  and  hard  to  aj)- 
proach  within  sliooting  distance.  We  managed  to  .i,ai 
three  or  four  j^uilleniots  (Coiiihm  /-'/vvA  )  eacli  dav,  which 
were  quite  acceptable.  Tliey  are  a  species  of  (hick  and 
delicate  in  flavor,  not  beinj^  so  fishy  as  some  of  tiie  other 
birds  we  had  eaten. 

As  if  by  nia«>;ic,  early  the  next  niornint,^  the  ice,  which 
had  held  us  so  firmly  in  its  grasp,  bej^an  to  loosen,  and 
Mr.  Kenealy,  in  lookino;  over  the  side,  noticed  that  the 
.shipwas  afloat,  and  called  attention  to  it.  The  captain  im- 
mediately ordered  steam  up,  and  on  startiu.ij  ahead  the  ice 
yielded  and  we  were  able  to  steam  for  about  half  an  hour, 
when  a  heavy  fo<;  .so  enveloped  everythin.t,^  that  it  was 
useless  to  ])roceed,  as  it  wa>  impossible  to  pick  our  wa\' 
throu<jh  the  vast  floes  which  still  remained  ahead.  This 
sudden  and  remarkable  chanj^e  in  the  pack,  looseuinj^  so 
(piickly  after  W\u<^  .solid  a  few  minutes  l)efore,  is  not 
unusual,  thouj^h  difficult  to  explain.  The  favorable 
chanjre  made  us  all  more  hopeful  and  cheerful  than  we 
had  been  for  some  time  The  foji;  continued  dense  all 
day,  but  late  durin<j  the  nij^ht  it  betjan  to  lift.  We 
had  yet  several  hundred  miles  to  i;o  before  reachiuii  '>"r 
objective  point  in  the  north. 

The  prospect  of  success  was  not  encoura<(inj;,  for  we 
knew  that  we  had  man>-  miles  of  ice  \etto  pass  throui^h, 
as  open  water  was  known  to  be  scarce  from  here  north- 
ward. This  task  would  have  to  be  accomplishe<l  and  a 
return  ma^k^  to  a  point  further  south  than  Melville  liay 
to  ensure  us  j^ettin.i;  home  the  same  year.     The  thoujjht 


1'    ;' 

I          i 

'     4       t 

'1    ,■  M 

!  ' 

'.  j 

■I  *  • 

i   ■ 


1 1  <«, 


r 

>  I  I 


m 


92 


/.V  .1RC77C  s/:.is. 


of  passiii*;  a  winter  in  this  lonely  clinif,  with  its  months 
of  cold  and  darkness,  was  far  from  onr  wishes.  ( )nr  food- 
snj)i)ly  was  not  snfTicient  to  ensnre  ns  enonj^h  to  eat,  and 
this,  with  the  memory  of  other  nnfortnnate  expeditions, 
])resented  snch  a  {.jioomy  pictnre  that  we  endeavored  not 
to  think  of  it.  On  the  iith  of  Jnly  land  was  sij^hted, 
bnt  so  far  away  and  indistinct  that  the  locality  was  un- 
recognized. Although  the  temperature  was  22'^  Fahren- 
heit, the  ice  continued  to  Ujosen,  and  we  were  able  to 
make  about  ten  or  fifteen  miles.  This  was  the  distance 
aclnall)-  steamed,  but  it  was  done  in  windinjj^  around 
and  between  lar<;e  fields  of  ice,  and  at  the  finish  did  not 
])nt  us  far  from  our  startinj^-place. 

At  ci<;ht  o'clock  on  the  cvenin<:^  of  that  day  a  dis- 
trcssiui;  accident  happened  to  Ijeutenant  Peary.  He 
was  standiu<^  near  the  rudder-chains,  in  the  stern  of 
the  .ship,  when  a  lar^e  bhjck  of  ice  struck  the  rudder 
with  «jreat  force,  throwinjj^  the  tiller  violently  to  one  .side 
and  learin<j^  the  wheel  out  of  the  hands  of  the  helmsman. 
The  rijj^ht  ley;  of  the  lieutenant  was  cau<,dit  between  the 
nulder-chains  and  thewheel-hou.se,  fracturinj^both  bones 
at  the  lower  third.  This,  of  course,  completely  disabled 
him  for  the  rest  of  the  voyaije,  and,  occurrinj^  as  it  did  at 
a  time  when  all  were  more  or  less  worried  by  the  un- 
favorable prospect,  exerted  a  very  depressini;  influence  on 
us.  Several  of  the  party  thought  it  better  to  abandon 
the  attempt  for  this  year,  but  to  this  Lieutenant  Peary 
would  not  listen.  He  insisted  that  his  lej.;^  would  be  suf- 
ficiently strouij  by  the  followinjj^  spring  to  enable  him  to 
execute  his  original  plans,  and  that  his  assistants  could 


i' 


4 


Tin:  ro): !(,/■:  or  ////■;  a///;. 


93 


undertake  aiul  carry  out  for  him  tlie  work  thai  he  had 
hiid  out  to  do  in  the  aiitumn  and  winter. 

Under  these  cireunistances  there  was  nothing  to  do 
but  to  ])roceed.  IK-  was  carried  below,  a  ])ed  prepared 
in  the  cabin,  and  tlie  injured  limb  attended  to.  Most 
of  the  followiu}^  day  was  spent  in  pnshin,i>  an<l  bultini^ 
thronj^di  the  ice.  which  was  .somewhat  looser  than  the 
day  ')efore.  The  fo<(  still  continued,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible to  make  much  pro*>;ress.  Some  open  water,  al);iut 
half  a  mile  distant,  was  seen  from  the  crow's  nest,  and 
to  reach  this  was  our  jirincipal  aim.  ( )nce  there,  we 
coidd  w.iit  for  the  fo.<;  to  lift  and  ha\e  a  safer  and  more 
favorable  restinj^-place  for  the  ship.  We  desired,  al)o\e 
all,  to  <;et  a  sij^ht  of  land,  in  order  to  enable  us  to  la\  a 
C(Mirse  with  some  precision,  as  our  shi])'s  compass  was 
very  sln<;<;ish,  owin}.,^  to  oiu'  proximity  U)  the  ma^inetic 
])ole.  We  succeeded  at  last  in  reachinir  the  open  water, 
and  in  a  few  hours  the  fo<;  lifted,  thus  enabliujn  us  to 
make  considerable  progress  throuj^h  the  now  weakened 
and  broken   ice. 

Duriu}^  the  afternoon  we  found  (|uit«  a  niunber  of 
leads  and  more  open  water,  rnfortunateh-  the  weather 
a<.iain  became  thick,  and  as  it  was  imjxjssible  to  see  far 
ahead  of  the  ship,  it  was  h)unfl  useless  to  continue  our 
efforts.  The  water-course,  if  followed  blindlv,  minht 
lead  to  more  heavy  and  troublesome  ice  than  any  which 
had  yet  been  encountered,  besides  takin.n;  us  far  from  our 
destination,  as  much  of  our  course  had  been  run  entirelv 
on  dead  reckoning;.  The  thermometer  was  as  low  as  20° 
durinj^  most  of  the  dav,  vet  it  did  not  feel  as  cold  and 


'^  ■ 


i  I 


i.  ' 


.'   1 


'I 

-■  f  i 

.■'ii 

m 


'  'H 


''?■'■,> 
i."  '^ 

'Kit 


i 


'H 


/.\'  .iA(V/(  .sy;. /.v. 


flisaj^ricahk'  as  duriniL;  soiiK-  pn-vious  (la\  s  with  a  hii^lur 
U-m  ])(.•!  all!  fi,'. 

A!llnni;;]i  tlic  lliickiK'ss  of  tin.  atniosplK'U'  was  i-x- 
lU'iiK'.  tlu'  (U'c'ks  aiul  ri,i4.t;iii,!^^  of  tlie  ship  wc-iv  coinpara- 
ti\(.l\  (lr\.  TIk'  liuinidity  ol  tla-  air  tiinnd  to  niiimli- 
and  (kliiMtr  frost-crystals  upon  n-acliini^  tlu-  coldiit-ss  of 
tlu'  sea  IcAtl,  cnxiriiii;  tlir  ropes  with  a  beautiful  and 
faiitastif  while  eoatiii;^  that  |L;a\e  to  the  vessel  a  weird, 
even  j^hosl-like,  appearance.  The  weather  continued 
had  and  the   ice  was  still  heavv,  the  cakes  beiu'r  larjrer 


than   betore, 


M. 


ire  open  water  was  met  wi 


th   tl 


lan  on 


any  dav  since  enterin.Li:  the  inunense  pack.      After  buttinj^ 


the  ice  lor  an  hour  or  two  we  were  enal)led  to  enter  open 
ater   and   steam    for  a  coui)le  of  miles,  and   then   the 


w 


but?in<fand  sniashinj^  aj^ain  be<fan,  and  lasted  till  another 
stretch,  of  water  was  reached.  As  the  da\'  wore  on  the 
weather  l)ecanie  clear  and  fine,  and  was  of  threat  a.ssistance 
in  the  iiavi,i.;ation  of  the  ship.  We  were  favored,  that 
afti-rnoon,  with  the  hrst  si_!.;lit  of  land  we  had  had  for  oxer 
three  da\s — to  us  a  most  ai^reeable  chanj^e.  It  was  too 
far  away  for  us  to  he  able  to  recoj^iii/e  any  distin^tiishin*; 
landmarks,  but  we  ran  toward  it,  and  expected  to  make 
out  our  exact  position  the  followinij^  day. 

'riie  "  buttin.^  "  or  forciiij^  our  way  tliroii<;h  the  heavy 
ice  was  a  most  iiUerestiii}^-  ])rocedure,  althoui^li  at  times 
.somewhat  terrifyin.ii;^.  A  person  .sceiii;^  it  for  the  first 
time  is  so  imin-essed  that  he  is  not  likel\-  e\er  to  ft)rt,a't 
it.     We  were  compelled  to  resort  to  it  so  often  while  i 


11 


the  Melville  Bay  pack  that  it  ceased  to  be  a  novelty,  and 
oiil\-  wlien  it  \v;is  so  violent  as  to  throw  one  of  us  to  the 


!i 


it 


v 


^  •!- 


ii 


!f 


T    '  ' 


f 

II 


i  I 


/•///•;  ro):  !(./■:  oi-   iiii:  kiti:.  q^ 

(k'ck  or  out  of  his  cliair  did  il  cause  coninifiU.  "  Uult- 
iiijj;^,"  to  iisi'  the  tenn  used  by  sailors  iu  these  seas,  cou- 
sists  in  forciuji^  the  ship  aj^aiust  the  hir^e  Hoes  or  paus  ot" 
iee,  eillier  to  break  them  into  fraj^tueuls  or  to  force  them 
to  one  side. 

The  "  j)ack,"  as  tlie  wliole  j^reat  field  of  ice  is  called, 
is  made  up  of  "  floes,"  some  l)ein<;  so  lar<^e  that  the  eye 
can  hardly  see  their  further  c.\tremit\',  and  "paus," 
which  are  suu\ll,  often  amouutiu|Lj  to  little  uiore  than 
ice-blocks.  The  ed<;es  of  these  ice-fields  are  of  course 
ver\'  irregular,  and  between  them,  in  the  summer-time, 
are  ])assa.C[es  or  "leads"  of  water.  Often  one  floe  just 
touciies  another  by  a  sin«i;le  corner,  and  l)eyond,  the  lead 
widens  out  into  quite  a  channel.  It  then  becomes  neces- 
sary to  break  off  this  corner  to  reach  the  channel.  'J'his 
is  accomplished  by  backin<.j  the  ship  for  several  ship's 
lenj^ths  and  then  steaminj^  at  full  speed  ahead  aj^ainst 
the  projectiu}^  corner.  The  shock,  as  the  prow  oi  the 
ship  strikes  the  ice,  is  terrific.  Sometimes  the  corner 
breaks  off  and  the  ship  slips  easily  throu<jh  into  the  new 
channel,  while  more  freqtiently,  so  far  as  the  novice  can 
see,  no  appreciable  effect  is  jiroduced.  Then  the  evo- 
lution is  repeated  a<(ain  and  aj4;ain  until  the  end  is  ac- 
complished or  the  captain  sees  that  further  efforts  are  use- 
less. 

It  need  scarcelv  be  said  that  the  work  requires  the 
greatest  skill,  knowledije,  and  caution.  If  the  corner  is 
broken,  it  may  cause  the  ice-fields  to  revolve  toward 
each  other,  the  channel  to  close,  and  jnit  the  ship  \\\ 
great  danger  of  being  nipped  and  crushed  by  the  heavy 


I 


M 


</, 


/.\'  .ih'i  //c  s/:.is 


flot's.      All   possible   circunistanci-s   must  be   takiii   into 
consideration  by  the  iee-pilol,  and  it  )^ave  ns  a  feelin);  ol 
confidence  to  see  these  hardy  Xewfonndland  sailt)rs  at- 
tack   the    ice    with    snch    jjcrlect    assnrance    and    calm- 
ness. 

At  times,  even  when  the  floes  are  qiiitc  thick,  the  ice 
is  broken  withont  dillicnUx ,  while  on  the  other  hand  the 
shij)  is  often  l)ron;4;ht  to  a  standstill  b\'  mere  tonj^nes  or 
slijj;ht  projections  which  seem  to  defy  the  force  of  steam. 
In  the  latter  case  one  always  has  to  act  with  ).jrcat  can- 
tion,  since  it  shows  that  heavy  pressnre  is  keepin<.j  the 
ice  firm  and  .'•olid.     When  snch  a  ton<;ne  is  bn)keji  iije 
floes  are  ai)t  to  come  to;fether  at  some  other  point,  not, 
as  we  had  ima>;ined,  with  snddenness  and  force,  bnt  with 
a  scarcely  perceptible  movement.     Tlicy  seemed  to  re- 
volve upon   their  centres  on  the  release  of  the  point  of 
imi)act,  slowly  bnt  snrely  api)roachin).;  each  other  until 
they,  ajj^ain  tonched,  and,  crnshinjj^  their  ed^es,  came  to 
a  complete  slop  when  the   resistance  of  the  j^reat  floes 
checked   the  force  of  the  cnrrents  which   moved   them. 
Of  conrse  a  vessel  canj^ht  in  snch  a  closinj;  chatniel  has 
scarcely  a  chance  of  escape.     If  the  ice  catches  her  amid- 
ships, the  sides  are  crnshed  as  if  made  of  cardboard,  while 
if,  by  some  fortunate  accident,  she  rises  on  the  floe,  she 
mnst  remain  imprisoned  nntil  another  chan;.;e  breaks  np 
the   ice-field  and   aj^ain   allows   her  to  float,  .shonld   the 
rontj;h  treatment  received  not  have  made  her  tolalK-  nn- 
scaworthy. 

This  is  the  canse  cf  most  of  the  accidents  which  occa- 
sion the  loss  of  vessels  in  the  Arctic  rei>ions.     It  was  in 


///A  ro.n./-:  (V   ////.  A///-; 


'>7 


this  itiaMiicr  that  tli<-  /'ro/ttt\  was  wrc-ckid  wlun  witlii'.i 
a  iVw  \ aids  of  oih-m  walir.  <  Mtr  cai)tain  told  us  that 
those  on  thf  vtssfl,  i/ciiij;  itnfaniiliar  with  [\\v  ici-,  jv- 
fusc'd  to  btlicvf  in  tht-  (lan}4;«.r,  insistinj;  that  thf  ship 
cotild  accomplish  the  sliji^ht  rcinaiuinjf  distance,  and 
wouhl  not  hilicvc,  until  the  ice  actually  came  throujuh 
the  ship's  side,  that  the  vessel  was  in  such  imminent 
])eril.  Only  a  few  hours  after  the  accident  the  tloes 
a^ain  sc])arated  in  the  same  slow,  majestic  manner  in 
which  tlicy  had  come  toj;ether,  l)ut  the  /'ro/r/zs  sank  in- 
stantly to  the  depths  of  the  ocean,  and  what  would  haw 
proved  her  homeward  path,  without  difficulty  or  dauj^er. 
was  traversed  in  the  whale-boats  by  whitli  the  retreat 
to  safety  was  .iiade. 

In  the  midst  of  the  }^reat  ice-i)acks  there  arc  fretpiently 
"lakes"  or  spaces  of  open  water,  throuj^di  wliich  th..- 
ship  can  i)ass  until  another  ic\'  wall  stops  its  proj^^ress; 
then  a  new  "lead"  nnisl  be  looked  for,  and  the  butting 
recommenced. 

So  the  days  slipped  by,  sometimes  nndinj^  f^oud  leads, 
while  others  were  completely  blocked  by  the  masses  of 
ice  in  front.  We  tried  always  to  make  some  proj^ress, 
and  {generally  succeeded  in  findiujL;^  a  safe  anchoraf^e  for 
the  vessel  when  it  was  fcnmd  impossil)le  to  proceed  far- 
ther. The  shi])  in  these  waters  is  not  anchored  to  the 
bottom  (for  this,  we  found  by  soundin<;,  was  from  six  to 
nine  hundred  fathoms  deep),  but  to  the  floes  themselves, 
and  for  this  ]>urpose  it  was  provided  with  claws  or  great 
hooks  of  iron.  When  progress  was  barred  tiu-  sailors 
ran  out  upon  the  ice,  and,  cutting  a  hole  in  the  floe,  sar.k 


w 

if 


.  I 


:» 


'     H 


Vil 


M 


98 


IN  .lA'CT/C  S/i.lS. 


the  hook  deeply  in  the  solid  ice,  thus  preventing  the  ship 
from  drifting  from  the  favorable  position  which  had  been 
selec.ed  until  some  movement  of  the  pack  opened  up  a 
fresh  lead. 


,;  !  i 


•  1  i-' 


I 


)  .     ., 


?  r 


CHAPTKR    VII. 

Ax    ACCIDKXT    TO    THK     vSniR— XnM'Kn     IN    TUP.     ICK .— lU.AST- 

ING.— Wi-    Kii.i,   A    Hkak.— Tahi.k  Ickhkkcs.— Cai'H  York 
vSkjhtei).— Driitinc,  with  run   Pack. 

/^UR  progress  was  of  course  exceedingly  slow.  On 
^^July  i5tli  the  weather  cleared  a  little  and  land  was 
seen  in  the  distance.  Observations  showed  that  we  were 
in  latitnde  75°  i'  north,  and  that,  consequently,  in  eleven 
days  of  constant  struggle  we  had  advanced  only  fiftv 
miles.  Nevertheless,  patches  of  open  water  were  more 
frequently  met  with  than  before,  and  this  was  accounted 
by  the  experienced  sailors  as  a  most  encouraging  sign 
of  our  release  from  what  had  grown  to  be  an  almost  in- 
tolerable imprisonment.  The  weather  was  bright  and 
pleasant  enough  to  allow  one  to  go  upon  deck  or  on  the 
ice  without  suffering  in  the  least  from  the  cold.  In  these 
high  latitudes  the  heating  effect  of  the  sun's  rays  is  like 
that  felt  on  a  mountain-top,  and  even  though  the 
thermometer  was  constanth-  below  the  freezing-point 
our  heavy  clothing  often  felt  oppressive. 

In  the  afternoon,  while  steaming  along  through  com- 
paratively loo3e  ice,  the  rudder  was  struck  by  a  heavv 
ice-cake  and  a  link  of  the  r.idder-chain  snapped.  This 
was  an  unfortunate  accident,  for  it  involved  a  delav  of 
three  hours  for  repairs,  and  by  the  time  they  were  com- 


il 


iW 


■   M 

'1  •* 

i 

•  i    ■ 

1 

J] 

'i.t!. 


'  ■ 

i,: 

y 

i\- 

1'? 

v'i 

> 

i 

i 

^ 


ICK) 


Av  ./AY •/•/(■  s/:.is. 


plftcd  our  favorable  lead  li;;(l  closed  and  we  were  a<jain 
brouj^lit  to  a  comjjlete  slo}).  An  exaniination  of  the  frai;- 
nieiils  of  the  chain  showed  that  it's  breakinj''  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  the  iron  had  been  cr\  stallized  by  the  repeated 
shocks  and  bltnvs  to  which  the  niet;d  had  been  subjected. 

The  lead  opened  on  the  followint:^  niornin<,%  and  the 
operation  of  l)uttinjLi^  and  forcini;  the  ice  was  a<;ain  re- 
sorted to.  We  made  fair  proj^ress,  thotijuh  the  weather 
was  thick  and  misty  until  about  4  l'.  m.,  when  we  foi;nd 
ourselves  in  a  small  lake.  While  the  o])p()sin,«^  wall  was 
l)ein<>:  diliucnth'  searched  for  a  lead  it  was  noticed  bv  the 
captain  that  the  floes  constituting^  the  sides  of  the  lake 
were  <>;radually  cominjjf  to,ijether,  and  we  found  ourselves 
confronted  with  the  possibility  of  a  "  nij),"  that  worst 
of  all  Arctic  accidents.  A  lake  was  openiuju^  just  ahead 
of  the  ship,  and  to  it  the  captain  determined  to  try  and 
work  his  wa\'.  A  narrow  lead  passed  from  one  lake  to 
the  other,  and  into  this  channel  the  ship  was  forced. 
We  had  almost  i)assed  throu.^^h,  but  a  sini^le  ant^le  of  the 
ice  barriui^  om-  j)assa.!;;e  and  the  bowsprit  overhan<(in,t^ 
the  place  we  desired  to  reach,  when  we  suddenly  found 
that  our  proi^ress  was  c()mj)letely  stopped.  The  ship  re- 
fused to  <;o  either  ahead  or  astern,  and  it  was  evident 
that  it  was  cauj^ht  between  the  ed.^es  of  the  floes  which 
constituted  the  bord-jrs  of  the  lead.  We  were  nipjied  in 
the  ice. 

Captain  Pike  and  his  crew  realized,  of  course,  the 
peril  in  which  we  were,  but,  like  true  sailors,  «;ave  no 
evidence  of  it,  nor  did  anv  of  us  know  of  the  dantjcr  until 


It  was  sa 


feb 


passe( 


Tl 


le  sailors 


folk 


(11 


owed  l)v  man\'  o 


f 


nil-:  i()).i<,/-:  o/-  ////■:  kin:. 


lOI 


the  i)ail\",  at  once  jumiK-d  on  the  ice  and  attenipteil  to 
oj)en  a  j)assa<;c  with  ci()\vl)ars  and  wooden  beams.  It 
was  fonnd,  howe\er,  too  thick  to  tender  this  feasible, 
and  wc  were  initiated  into  another  Arctic  de\  ice:  holes 
were  drilled  in  the  ice,  and  a  bottle  lilled  with  i^nn- 
powder,  attached  to  which  was  a  I'nse  that  had  the  power 
of  hnrnin^i;  nnder  water,  was  tied  to  the  end  of  an  oar; 
the  fuse  hein<;  ij^nited,  the  oar,  with  the  bottle  attached, 
was  shoved  throuinh  the  openin<;  and  douu  nnder  theedj^i- 
of  the  ice,  where  it  exploded.  The  first  attempt  failed 
on  aeconnt  of  the  imperfect  sealin.i^  of  the  bottle,  and  the 
secoul  failed  for  the  same  reason;  a  third  ])()ttle  cxphxled, 
but  without  efTect  on  the  ice.  Two  more  were  simul- 
taneously exj)lo(led,  and  a  <;reat  cake  was  bh)wu  Irom  the 
ed^e.  The  ship  was  at  once  i)Ut  astern,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  it  was  in  comparati\e  safety  in  a  corti'-r  of 
what  had  been   the  lart^e  lake  we  had  left. 

vSo  little  did  we  realize  the  dan.i;er  of  our  situation 
that  those  of  us  who  were  not  assistin.L^  the  crew  sper.t 
the  time  in  j^ambolliuj^  on  the  ice  with  the  doi^s  or  in 
photoj^raphin^-  the  ship  and  the  men  enileavorinj^  to  re- 
lease her.  The  next  day  the  captain  pointed  out  the 
location  that  the  shij)  had  occu])ied.  It  was  j)iled  u]> 
with  irrej^nlar  blocks  ot  ice  from  thirteen  to  lwenl\  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  lloes,  showin*^  the  terrific  force 
with  which  these  had  come  together;  yet  so  slow  and 
nuijestic  is  their  movement  that  it  is  only  after  such  an 
object  lesson  as  this  that  one  can  realize  the  force  behind 
them. 

This  was  destined  to  be  an  eventful  dav.     The  vcs- 


:1 

';  ', 

-1  . 

-1 


m 


1 


I02 


Av  .lA'cr/c  s/:.  is. 


lu 


sel,  soon  after,  liaviiij;  been  made  fast  to  the  ice  (a  safe 
harbor  for  it  havinj^  been  found),  some  of  the  party 
started  out  upon  the  floes  to  shoot  the  j^uillemots  which 


Ktcly.  Uiirk.  K^-'iualy. 

IN    ARC  lie    AlllRI. 


(lilison. 


were  everywhere  ])lentiful,  while  the  rest  retired  to  the 
seclusion  of  the  cabin,  not  relishing  the  damp,  cold  air, 
and  amused  themselves  by  readini:^  and  chattin<j.  It 
^vas  about  lo  o'clock  at  night  wdien  one  of  the  sailors 
opened  the  door  of  the  cabin  and,  in  a  voice  of  suppressed 
excitement,  uttered  the  single  word,  "Bear."  In  an 
instant  all  was  confusion,  for  we  were  all  anxious  to 
view  the  greatest  game  of  the  Arctic  region.  Each  one 
made  a  jump  for  his  rifle  and  then  rushed  for  the  door. 
On  reaching  the  deck  we  looked  out  upon  the  ice  and 
saw  the  bear.  He  was  about  three  hundred  yards  off, 
and  the  excitement  his  presence  occasioned  was  increased 


rUF.    lOY.li.E  or   HIE  KITE. 


i<^3 


when  it  was  cUscovcrcd  that  he  was  leisurely  but  surely 
ap])r()aehinjr  the  ship  with  his  peculiar  luuil)erino;  <rait. 
He  would  stop  t\ery  few  yards,  hold  up  his  head,  then 
swiu*:;  it  slowly  froiu  side  to  side,  and  a<;aiu  approach. 
By  the  captain's  direction  we  crouched  behind  the  bul- 
warks of  the  ship  and  rested  our  rifle-barrels  on  the  rail. 
It  is  the  habit  of  the  polar  bear  to  aj)proach  any  strauj^e 
object  he  may  see  until  he  conies  near  enou<;h  to  scent 
it.  His  e\es  are  quite  small  and  his  vision  poor,  and  he 
frequentl\  a])proaches  vessels  which  are  out  of  his  rauj.;;e 
of  scent. 

It  svas  fortunate  that  the  wind  was  blowinj^  stron,u;ly 
from  the  direction  in  which  he  was  comin<^,  and  he  was 
miable  to  discover,  by  his  keen  sense  of  smell,  what  or 
who  we  were,  or  to  realize  the  danj^cr  he  was  incurrinj^^ 

While  he  was  slowly  approachin.tj  the  captain  went 
below  to  invite  Mrs.  Peary  and  the  rest  who  were  in  that 
part  of  the  ship  to  come  and  see  the  great  animal.  P>y 
the  time  they  reached  the  deck  he  was  much  nearer  than 
when  first  discovered,  and  still  continued  his  approach, 
thou*;h  stoppini^  more  frequently  to  re.i^ard  the  ship,  and 
then  alternately  walkiuu^  and  lopinj;  in  a  playful  man- 
ner, evidently  determined  to  investi<;ate  the  curious 
monster.  "lis  most  interestin*;  }icrformauce  was  cut 
short,  when  he  was  but  fifty  yards  from  the  .ship,  by  the 
sound  of  a  s'liot  fired  at  .some  birds  by  the  part\-  out  on 
the  floe,  who,  beinjj^  in  the  opposite  direction,  had  of 
course  no  idea  of  the  situation.  Instantly  the  bear 
stopped  and  reared  upon  his  haunches.  This  was  too 
much   for  one  enthusiastic    watcher,    and,    against    the 


I'':, 


I    i 


\     I 


I*    '    1 


'If 


i(j4 


fX  ./A'(7/(    s/:.is. 


accepted  otfUr  that  we  should  all  fire  t(),t,Hther  when  tlie 
.si<;nal  was  ;^i\rn  by  the  captain,  he  shot  at  the  hear. 
The  report  of  his  rifle  was  hardlv  heard  when  a  \-olley 
was  firi-d  and  the  hear  stai^jL^ered  and  fell.  We  snpposed, 
of  com-sf,  that  he  was  dead,  and  jinni)ed  from  the  side 
of  the  vessfl  to  reach  and  examine  him.  The  <,n-eat 
white  hear  is  not,  howe\er,  so  easil\-  killed,  and  before 
we  conld  j^et  to  him  he  was  on  his  feet  once  more  and 
made  a  sta.i.:;<;erini;  rnsh  for  the  water.  Mis  shonlder  was 
ajiparentlx-  brokeii,  and  lie  fell  frecpienth',  bat  still  stnm- 
bled  on,  wdiile  tliose  on  the  ice  who  had  taken  their  rifles 
with  them  fired  shot  after  shot  in  \ain.  The  excitement 
before  the  \-olley  was  fired  was  verv  iLjreat,  bnt  now  it 
was  at  fe\er  pitch,  for  we  knew  from  what  we  had  heard 
that  if  he  reached  the  open  water  he  was  safe. 

The  Arctic  sailors  call  these  beasts  the  water-bear, 
bccanse  the\-  can  swim  with  "^^reater  speed  than  a  boat 
can  be  ])roi)elled  b\-  oars.  If  the  l)ear  was  not  dan_t;er- 
onslv  hnrt,  therefore,  he  would  escape,  and  it',  as  we  found 
afterward  to  be  the  case,  he  was  mortalK'  wounded,  his 
body  would  sink,  and  thus  a.^ain  we  would  lose  him. 
The  shootin;^  was  ct)usequently  of  the  wildest  description, 
and  probabh-  very  few  of  the  bullets  reached  the  tari^^et. 
Sta<;j;erin<;-,  fallin,^-,  and  Icavinii;;  a  broad  trail  of  blood 
on  the  snow-co\ered  ice,  he  ran  for  the  lead,  some  two 
hundred  \ar(ls  ofT,  and  had  almost  reached  the  edf^e  of 
the  floe  wdien  a  well-directed  bullet  struck  him  in  the 
base  of  the  skull  and  he  succumbed:  the  prey  was  ours. 

Many  willins^  hands  manned  the  boat,  which  was  at 
once  launched,  a  line  was  i)ut  about  the  bear's  neck,  and 


^■t.tj, 


m 


iiS 


I 


ft 


^f 


77//;  lOY.K,/-:  or  Till-:  kite. 


lo: 


he  was  towed  in  triiiinph  to  the  side  of  tlie  ship.  Here, 
lyinj;  at  full  leii<«;th  on  the  ice,  he  was  photoj^raphed  and 
measured,  lie  proved  to  be  a  full-j^rown  male.  In  liis 
body  were  nmnerons  bullet-holes,  sho\.'inj>;  that  almost 
all  the  bullets  of  the  orij^inal  volley  had  struck  him. 
One  had  pierced  his  heart,  while  another  had  broken 
the  shoulder.  To  have  been  so  active,  and  to  have 
shown  the  vitality  which  he  did  after  receivinj^  such 
serious  wounds,  shows  the  remarkable  endurance  of 
these  animals.  He  was  accounted  by  the  sailors  to  be  a 
lar^j^e  specimen,  and  measured  seven  feet  one  inch  in 
length,  and  stood  three  feet  four  inches  hi<.;;h  at  the 
shoulders.  The  sole  of  his  foot  was  fourteen  and  one- 
half  inches  in  length,  and  he  weighed  between  six  and 
seven  hundred  pounds.  The  fur  was  very  thick,  long, 
and  of  a  yellowish-white  color,  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
pure  whiteness  of  the  snow.  His  claws  and  teeth  were 
very  large,  and  his  skull  so  thick  as  to  be  almost  invul- 
nerable. 

As  Lieutenant  Peary  desired  the  meat  for  provisioning 
his  camp,  the  hide  was  removed  and  the  rest  of  the  car- 
cass cut  into  quarters,  as  is  commonly  done  with  beef. 
Most  unfortunately,  the  two  hind  quarters  were  lost 
while  being  washed  preparatory  to  hanging  them  in  the 
foretop  for  preservation.  A  careless  sailor  had  fastened 
them  to  a  line  with  a  loose  knot,  and,  slipping  from  this, 
they  sank.  The  rest  was  safely  stored  away,  to  be  added 
to  the  larder  of  the  little  encampment  at  Whale  Sound. 

Thereafter  a  careful  watch  was  kept  for  these  great 
animals,  but,  although  tracks  were  plentiful,   we  were 


'    i 


1  i 
;  j 

TT 


loS 


/.v  .iA'(//c  s/:.is. 


iu)t  rcwanlfd  with  the  si<;lil  of  ;in\'  iin»iv  iiiilil  two  d.ns 
later,  when  a  she  hear  and  her  two  cmiIjs  wire  seen  at  a 
considerahle  distance  from  the  ship,  their  \ellowish  fnr 
makinj;  them  clearh-  distinjj^uishahle  aj^ainst  the  icy 
hackrjronnd.  The  vessel  was  headed  in  their  direction, 
and,  as  in  the  case  of  the  former  hear,  they  evinced  no 
fear  of  the  stranj^e  ohject.  Unfortunately,  we  were  com- 
])elled  to  <i[0  to  windward,  and  as  soon  as  the  scent  reached 
them  the\-  commenced  to  retreat.  The  mother  hear 
conld  run  like  a  race-horse,  but  she  stopped  every  once  in 
a  while  to  ur<;e  her  cubs  to  greater  speed.  Beinj;  out  of 
ranj^e  of  our  rifles,  a  chase  was  or<;anix.ed.  The  party  on 
the  ice  presented  a  rather  ludicrous  i)icture  runnin<j  and 
stumblin*];  over  its  rouj^h  and  hummocky  surface,  while 
the  bears  proj:;ressed  without  the  .slijj^htcst  difficulty  and  at 
a  far  g^reater  rate  of  speed.  The  chase  was  .soon  abandoned 
and  the  party  recalled,  the  ship  itself  being  started  in 
pursuit;  but  the  lead  was  filled  with  blocks  of  ice  which 
retarded  our  progress,  and  the  bears  were  so  thoroughly 
frightened  that  they  di.sappeared  without  a  single  .shot 
being  fired,  and  we  saw  them  no  more. 

After  the  excitement  of  the  killing  of  the  bear  had 
subsided  the  monotony  of  the  voyage  was  again  resumed. 
On  the  next  afternoon  snow  fell  in  large  quantities — 
larger,  in  fact,  than  at  any  time  since  we  had  started 
north — and  the  day  looked  like  a  midwinter  one  at  home. 
We  steamed  ahead  at  the  rate  of  four  knots  an  hour  for 
twenty-four  hours,  the  water  being  now  comjxiratively 
open.  Much  drift  ice  and  enormous  table  icebergs  were 
passed,  but  by  careful  steering  we  avoided  all  collisions. 


^ 


■////•;  I  (> ).!<,/:  (>/■  nil:  kiii:. 


109 


It  is  (lilTicnlt  to  cstiniati-  tlu-  sizf  of  the  ^rcat  hcrj^^s  set 
free  from  the  j;laciers  of  the  far  Xortli.  The  j^tiesst-s  of 
the  no\iees  were  apjjareiitls'  as  aeeurate  as  those  of  the 
experienced  sailors.  All,  howexer,  agreed  that  those  we 
saw  that  day  surpassed  in  si/.e  any  seen  before.  One 
was  thonj^ht  1)\  the  officers  of  the  A'/A  to  he  more  than 
si.\  miles  in  lenj^th,  and  .stretched  its  vertical  walls  fully 


A    GRKAT    NnKllllKN    K  I- |;I  R(  I. 

three  hundred  feet  above  the  water.  The  crow's  nest  on 
our  mast-head  was  seventy  feet  above  the  deck,  and  at 
this  heio;ht  it  was  apparent  that  the  toj)  .surface  of  the 
jrrcat  table  of  ice  was  still  far  above  it.  The  berirs  met 
with  in  this  locality  were  quite  different  from  those  pre- 
viously encountered.  They  were  no  lon<>er  ru<;^ed  in 
outline,  with  jnnnacles  and  varied  shapes,  but,  rather, 
huo^e  blocks  of  ice,  nearh'  square  and  of  immense  size. 
Thev   had    exidentlv    been    recentlv   released    from    the 


'Ml 


ii 


■■-">  k\ 


.1  ; : 


j't^ 


il 


1 1(> 


//V  .iA'(  r/c  s/:.is. 


jj^rt'.'it  ^lacitrs  of  tlir  Xortli,  and  tlu'  watt-r  and  air  had  in»t 
\rt  had  a  chaiui-  to  carve*  thcin  iiit<»  ihi'  turioiis  .si)irt.'s, 
caverns,  and  lowers  which  had  cliaractcri/.t'd  the  iccherj^s 
seen  floatinj;  iVoni  the  «;hieiers  further  south. 

The  drift  of  the  water  in  these  seas,  so  far  as  could  he 
made  ont,  was  northward  alonj;  the  west  coast  of  (ireen- 
land  as  far  as  Melville  Hay.  Here  the  stream  is  deflected 
to  the  west  by  the  southerlv  flow  of  the  Arctic  current 
and  the  projection  of  Cape  York,  and,  sweepinj^down  the 
east  coast  of  North  America,  emery^es  finally  in  the  open 
ocean  south  of  Xewfoundland.  Occasionally  this  icy 
current  flows  down  our  Atlantic  coast,  and  bathers  are 
then  made  to  suffer  from  the  lowered  temperature  of  the 
water. 

On  July  iSth  wc  caujj^ht  a  j^limpse  of  Cape  York,  but 
the  weather  was  cloudy  and  fojj^f^y,  and  we  conld  not  be 
sure  of  our  e.xact  position.  The  next  day  found  the 
weather  still  dark  and  ji[loomy.  A  bitterly  cold  wind 
from  the  sonth-west  was  blowing,  and  the  black,  threaten- 
ing^ sky  »;ave  the  scene  an  appearance  of  midwinter.  An 
occasional  snow-squall  added  even  more  to  the  dreary 
outlook,  and  j^ave  us  a  faint  idea  of  the  misery  and  hard- 
ships to  be  encountered  in  rej^ions  farther  north. 

Xo  attempt  was  made  to  move  the  ship.  We  sup- 
posed that  we  were  still  somewhere  in  the  neii^hborhood 
of  Cape  York,  but  as  the  day  was  dark  and  our  comjxiss 
so  uncertain,  and  we  had  had  such  an  imperfect  si^ht  of 
land,  we  did  not  know  in  which  direction  to  proceed. 
The  ice  was  troublesome — so  much  so  that  we  were  en- 
abled to  make  but  a  few  miles  in  the  direction  in  which 


'////•;  1(1  ).!(,/■:  (>/   nil:  kite. 


1 1 


\vi-  itiffrrrd  tin-  land  to  Ix.-.  'I'lu-  iccbi-rj^s  \vt'rf  mt\ 
iiuiufrous,  and  still  larfjir  and  liii^dur  than  aii\-  \vf  had 
Nt't  I'ticounti-ri'd.  ( )ii  jul\  Jf)tli,  at  \  r.  m.,  tin-  foj^ 
rolk'd  away  sufficit-Jilh  to  allow  land  to  la-  sun  to  our 
ri<^dit,  and  Cape  York,  latitndf  ^;^^  2',  lonj^itudi-  OS  }', 
distant  only  siAtn  niiks.  was  in  plain  \iiw.  TIk-  iliro- 
nonictcr  was  found  to  hi-  correct,  and  tlit- prospects  of  our 
Noyaj^c  looked  nu-re  encoura;;in<^.  W'e  hail  intended 
landinj^on  the  cape  to  undertake  souk-  explorations,  hut 
ice  was  ai^ain  more  al/undant,  and  it  was  found  iinpos- 
sihle  to  reach  the  shore;  indeed,  so  liea\  \  and  treacherous 
was  it  that  evi'U  if  we  had  succeeded  in  i^ainint^  the  land 
our  return  to  the  ship  niiiLihl  have  been  made  impossible 
1)\  the  breaking;  up  of  the  floe. 

Mr.  Dumpily,  the  second  mate,  ha\in<^  j^one  a  short 
distance  away  fr«  11  the  ship  on  the  ice,  was  surprised  to 
find  a  small  piece  of  board  about  a  coiiitle  of  feet  lons^f. 
Many  were  the  speculations  and  conjectures  indul|L,ad  in 
as  to  its  mode  of  j^ettiu!:;  there.  W'e  could  think  of  no 
more  plausible  explanation  than  that  it  had  been  thrown 
overboard  from  some  whaler  which,  possibly,  mi|L;ht  ha\e 
preceded  us  earlier  in  the  season.  »Snuill  thon.ijh  the  in- 
cident was,  it  served  to  break  the  nionotonx  of  our  slay 
in  the  ice,  and  .^ave,  for  the  time  beini.;,  a  new  direction 
to  our  thoughts. 

This  day  was  brij^ht,  w;  iin,  and  sunny,  the  best  we 

had  enjoyed  for  two  weeks,  and  a  most  a<i^recablechanj^e. 

To  the  north  the  ice  was  as  heavy  and  impassable  as  that 

which  was  between  us  and  the  shore. 

( )ur  anxiety  was  increasing  dail\.     We  were  desirou.s 
8  '  . 


( 


:.i 


i 


P   i^ 


112 


AV  .lA'CV/C  s/':.is. 


of  rcachin<::  our  destination  as  soon  as  possible,  for  the 
snninicr  was  jiassinj;  rapidly,  and  it  wonld  soon  be 
necessary  to  coninience  onr  retnrn.  I)ela\-  would  in- 
crease the  danj^er  of  onrbeinj^  can<.ditin  the  ice,  and  ]X'r- 
haps  coni])el  ns  t(^  remain  all  winter.  'iMie  followin*; 
da\-  was  also  bri<;ht  and  clear,  and  the  land  near  enonj^^h 
to  allow  ns  to  ^ct  a  j^ood  idea  of  the  country.  Several 
liiY^rQ  p^lacicrs  were  plainly  visible,  and  the  snow-covered 
mountains  were  grand  and  imj)osing.  The  ice  continued 
to  l)ar  our  way,  and  to  the  northward  was  one  .solid  pack 
whose  limit  could  not  be  made  out  from  the  mast-head. 
Tt  was  the  most  formidable  ice  we  had  yet  encountered, 
and  we  feared  it  jnij^ht  prevent  further  progress. 

We  waited  here  four  days,  hoping  all  the  while  for 
the  ice  to  break  and  permit  our  passage.  To  the  .south  we 
still  had  a  good  chance  to  escape  .should  we  deem  it  ad- 
visable to  beat  a  retreat  and  renounce  all  lio])e  of  reaching 
Whale  Sound,  which  was  still  one  hundred  and  sixty 
miles  to  the  northward.  Matters  now  a.ssunied  a  rather 
gloom\-  look.  It  was  impossible  to  land  Lieutenant 
Peary  on  the  shore  at  this  point,  even  had  he  desired  it; 
and,  could  we  have  done  so,  it  wonld  have  been  neces- 
sary for  our  small  party  to  drag  all  the  stores,  supplies, 
and  materials  for  his  house,  on  improvised  sledges,  over 
the  rough  and  treacherous  ice  a  distance  of  ten  miles. 
At  any  time  the  ice-pack  might  have  broken  up  and 
drifted  far  away,  leaving  perhaps  i)art  of  the  lieutenant's 
effects  on  the  land  and  the  rest  on  the  .ship,  which,  caught 
by  the  drifting  ice,  would  have  been  nnable  to  return  and 
land  the  remainder.     Any  plan  whicli  involved  the  pos- 


i  1 


;  * 


77 //i  roy.K./.:  <>/■  rm-:  kite. 


113 


sibility  of  such  a  separation  of  the  i)arty  and  stores  would 
inij)cril  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  l)esidcs  leavincr  the 
exi)edition  a  Imndred  and  sixty  miles  farther  south  than 
had  been  anticipated,  and  was  not  to  be  thouj^ht  of. 

^  Lieutenant  Peary  was  still  confined  to  the  cabin   with 
his    broken    leer.      He    was    very    patient    and    hopeful 
throughout  this  trying  ordeal,  and,  notwithstanding  hav- 
incr  all  the  responsibility  of  the  expedition  restin-  upon 
him,  remained  cheerful  and  sanguine  of  success.     This 
served  greatly  to  cheer  us  at  a  time  when  we  most  needed 
encouragement.     On  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth  day  a 
strong  wind  from  the  east  came  up,  and  was  regarded  as 
a  favorable  sign  by  our  captain,  who  .said  that  if  it  con- 
tinued for  a  coui)le  of  days  it  would  .separate  the  ice  and 
leave  us  a  channel  by  which  we  might  be  able  to  work 
our  way  onward.     The  pack  seemed  to  be  drifting  north- 
ward, taking  us  along  with  it.     This  appeared  to  be  due 
to  a  surface  current,  as  the  icebergs  drifting  south  showed 
the  existence  of  a  deeper  current  tending  in  that  direc- 
tion. 

There  was  no  lack  of  .sport.  Thou.sands  of  birds  were 
to  be  seen  in  every  direction,  and  in  such  flock.,  that 
many  could  be  brought  down  by  a  single  discharge. 
There  were  .several  varieties,  but  the  dovkie  or  litUc 
auk  were  most  numerous,  and  were  brought  to  the  .ship 
by  the  hunters  in  considerable  nundxn-.s.  Hardly  a  day 
went  by  widiout  a  .seal  or  two  being  obtained,  and,  with 
th'^  meat  of  the  bear  lately  killed,  our  table  was  plenti- 
fully supplied  with  fresh  meat. 


i 


m. 


sh 


i}\ 


chaptp:r  VIII. 

FrI'F.    ON'civ    Mok;;.— Cai'i;    I'akhv    and  Wiialr  Soi'ND.— An* 
IvSKnio  \iM,Ac.i;. — 'riii';   N'ativi;s. — Contrast    with    tmic 

I'li;C,IANS.  —  KlvI.lCS    I'KOM     ICSKIMO    (IRAVHS. 

Ox  the  23(1  of  July,  at  6  o'clock  in  the  inornini^,  an 
unlooked-for  breakinji;  up  and  driftiui^^  of  tlie  ice- 
pack occurred.  The  ice  be.^an  to  show  si(;ns  of  .scjxirat- 
inji;,  and  within  an  hour  or  two  a  channel  lar<;e  enou<j^h 
for  the  ship  to  sail  in  was  ready  for  us.  vSteani  was  ini- 
niediately  raised  and  a  new  start  made  for  our  destina- 
tion. As  we  proceeded  the  open  spaces  ])ecanie  more 
abundant,  and  in  a  couple  of  hours  we  were  in  water 
free  from  jxicks  and  floes  Icebergs  were  still  numerous, 
but  so  larjj^e  and  far  apart  that  we  had  no  difficulty  in 
avoidini;  them.  After  "ettin^^  out  of  the  ice  the  run 
from  vSaunders  Island,  where  our  release  occurred,  to  Cape 
I'arr\-,  which  marks  the  entrance  to  Whale  »Sound,  wa.s 
made  during  the  day.  Cape  Parry  was  reached  ai  about 
lo  o'clock  p.  M.,  after  a  day  of  most  charmiuG^  weather 
and  a  stifT  breeze  which  caused  just  enouj^h  swell  on  the 
water  to  j^ive  the  ship  a  ])leasant  nu)tion  and  to  impart 
to  us  a  feelint;  of  freedom  after  beint;'  so  Ion*;  held  in  the 
ice-]iack.  Land  was  in  si^ht  all  the  way  up;  it  was  hiji;h 
and  barren,  and  we  noticed  that  much  less  snow  was 
present  here  than  further  south.     Alto<;etlier,  the  locality 

Ml 


1^ 


HIE    lOYAi.J-:  I) J-    THE  KITE. 


115 


was  more  attractive   than   the  parts  of  Greenland  seen 
before. 

Cape    Parry   marks    the   entrance    to  Wliale    Sonnd, 
which  is  a  wide  channel  between  the  cojist  of  Greenland 
and   Xorthnniberland  and  Herbert    Islands,    and    scrxes 
as  one  of  the  entrances  into  Inolefield  Gnlf.     Tlu-  latter 
is  a  laroe   body  of  water  separated    from  IJafTin   T.ay  or 
vSmith  Sonnd    by  three  lar^e  islands,  Northumberland, 
Herbert,  and  Hakluyt.      It  was  on  the  northern  side  of 
Inokficld  Cxulf  that  Lieutenant   Peary  desired   to  land, 
l)nt,   findino  Whale  vSound  o])en,   we  skirted   alon.<;-  the 
shores  of  Cape  Parry,  seekin,!;  to  .^ain  an  entrance  to  the 
j;ulf.     Cape  Parry  is  marked  b\-  a  hu<4e  and  almost  per- 
pendicnlar  cliff  of  red  sandstone  and  basalt,  crowned,  as 
usual  in  Greenland,  with  a  perpetual  ice  caj),  and  broken 
here  and  there  by  small  <,daciers  and  deep  fiords.      As  we 
coasted    alonj^  in  the  full    sunli}.;ht  the  ciiffs    presented 
a  most  picturesque  and  beautiful  ajijiearance.      At  times 
we    would  see   in  a  valley   a   torrent,    formed    from    the 
meltini^  snow    and   ice   above,  come    dashing    o\er    the 
mountain,   formini^    beautiful    cascades    in    its    descent. 
After  enterin.u^  the  sound  the  ship  was  put  under  an  eas\- 
head  of  steam  and  we  sIowl\  crui.'^ed  alonj^^  the  southern 
shore.     The  principal  object  was  to  find  an  Ivskinu)  \il- 
la<>e  which  was  known  to  be  situated  thereabouts.     We 
had  already  found  our  charts  of  these   w.-iters  so  fanltv 
and   incomplete    that,    outside  of  prominent   ca])es  and 
landmarks,    we   placed    little   reli.ince  on    them;    conse- 
quently the  navigation  of  the   inland  waters  was  neces- 
sarily slow  and  danoerons. 


■\ 


^  E-i 


m  f  5 


ii6 


/A'  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


After  stcaniiiifr  aloiifr  the  land  for  some  miles  we  dis- 
covered  what  apjieared  to  be  three  or  four  skin  tents. 
The  marine  glass  showed  natives  and  dogs  and  other 
signs  of  life.  We  approached  to  within  about  a  mile 
of  the  village,  but  hesitated  to  go  nearer,  as  everywhere 
were  seen  large  boulders  and  masses  of  rock  that  had 
fallen  into  the  water  from  the  heights  above.  The 
tents  were  seen  to  be  located  on  a  comparatively  level 
plateau,  near  the  entrance  to  a  fiord,  whose  shores  were 
lined  with  glaciers.  Captain  Pike  feared  to  enter  the 
fiord  itself,  but  kept  the  Kite  near  its  mouth  while  the 
village  was  visited  by  the  party.  The  w,hale-boat  being 
lowered,  we  soon  arrived  at  what  appeared  to  be  the 
most  available  landing-place.  This  consisted  of  a  rocky 
slope  of  nearly  45°,  and,  as  we  found  later,  was  the  place 
where  the  natives  hauled  up  the  carcasses  of  walrus,  seal, 
and  other  animals  killed  in  the  chase.  It  was  by  far  the 
most  desirable  landing- place  we  could  have  selected. 
The  tents  were  situated  on  a  bluff  at  some  distance  from 
the  water,  and  were  almost  impossible  to  approach  ex- 
cept from  the  spot  at  wdiich  we  had  landed.  The  natives 
were  there  ready  to  meet  us,  and  seemed  delighted  at  our 
arrival. 

T!ie  village,  if  such  it  could  be  called,  was  composed 
of  only  three  rude  skin  tents  supported  on  narwhal-horns, 
and  evidently  was  only  the  summer  home  of  the  little 
tribe,  as  a  number  of  more  permanent  structures,  com- 
posed of  earth  and  stones,  were  seen  near  by.  While  we 
found  only  three  tents,  these  stone  huts  numbered  above 
a  dozen,  indicating  that  the  settlement  was  much  larger 


'////;     lOY.ia/-:   OF   THE   Kill:. 


"7 


duriiio^  Iht'  winter  motitlis.  The  small  inunhcr  of  the 
natives  was  probabh'  dne  to  the  absence  of  many  on  their 
summer  hunting   trips.      The   entire  jiopulation,  at  the 


THi;    NAIIVi:    (AMI'   AI     WHAI.I,   SoLNU. 


time  of  our  visit,  numbered  twelve — four  men,  three 
women,  and  five  children.  These  were  the  first  of  the 
so-called  "Arctic  highlanders"  of  Captain  Ross  that  \ve 
had  seen,  and  interested  us  greatly.  The  children,  as 
was  the  case  elsewhere  in  Greenland,  were  pretty  and 
healthy  looking,  but  the  adults  were  filtlu"  and  an\thing 
but  attractive.  I  was  among  the  first  ashore,  and,  extend- 
ing my  hand  to  the  Eskimo  who  appeared  to  be  the  chief, 
and  offering  him  a  piece  of  tobacco,  was  somewhat  sur- 
prised to  see  that  my  courtes\-  was  not  understood.  He 
seemed  delighted  to  see  us,  but  had  no  knowledge  of  our 
custom  of  shaking  hands  as  a  mode  of  salutation.  The 
tobacco  which  I  gave  him  lie  handled   in  a  way  which 


1  ■■   ■ 


1 , 


f) 


ii8 


Av  .ih'cnc  s/:.is. 


'U, 


■¥} 


'  i 


■,-« 


showed  to  nic  at  once  that  he  was  unfamiliar  with  the 
article.  (Jne  of  the  sailors,  who,  at  the  time,  hapjx-ned 
to  be  smokin.ii^  a  pijK-,  was  rej^anled  1)y  them  with  the 
j^reatest  wonder,  and  they  were  evidently  puzzled  to  ac- 
count for  the  smoke  which  came  from  the  man's  mouth. 
We  had  found  Eskimos  who  rarely,  if  ever,  .saw  white 
men.  Their  location,  of  course,  would  have  rendered 
im])ossible  any  visitation  of  whale-ships,  which  .seldom 
<i^et  so  far  north  as  this  latitude.  Even  if  they  did,  they 
would  not  ])c  likeh'  to  venture  into  such  unknown  waters 
unless  on  a  mission  similar  to  ours.  This  first  impres- 
sion was  confirmed  by  a  visit  to  their  tents  and  houses. 
With  the  exception  of  a  few  iron  tips  to  their  harpoons, 
a  small  piece  of  sheet  lead,  the  iron  end  of  a  boat- 
hook,  and  a  sewino;-thinible,  which  a  woman  produced 
in  i^reat  triumjih,  nothinji;  was  seen  which  showed  con- 


KNU'K   Wiril    IVURV    llLADi:    AM)    WUJDtN    HANDLE. 


(IK 


"TTTw "     1l  r 

IViiKV    riN,    TWtMlllUDS    ACll'AL    SI/.K. 


tact  with  their  civilized  brethren.  It  is  possible  that  the 
fe^'  natives  in  this  out-of-the-way  place  obtained  these 
li's  of  civilization  throutj^h  some  of  their  more  fortunate 
kin.'-'nen  nieetinii^  whalers  or  Polar  expeditions  durinu^ 
their  summer  hunts,  as  they  are  known  to  journey,  on 


THE    I  (>):  !(,/■:   ()/■    11  IE   A/TE. 


119 


such  trips,  far  from  their  winter  quarters.  They  niani- 
fested  unusual  delight  when  shown  needles,  knives,  ete., 
and  for  a  few  of  these  articles  we  were  enabled  to  ^et  all 
the  curiosities  desired.  A  knife  bou.^ht  a  reindeer-skin, 
and  for  a  needle  we  recei\'ed  an  ivor\-  walrus-tusk.  A 
curious  piece  of  steel  used  in  skinninj;  seals,  brou.nht  from 
Godhavn,  was  exchanj^ed  for  two  \i\r»c  narwhal-liorns. 

Many  and  varied  were  the  curios  gotten  l)y  our  partv. 
and  I  am  glad  to  say  that,  although  the  rate  of  exchange 
Avas  so  mucli  in  our  favor,  we  left  them  with  a  supplv  o:" 
material  that  was  of  far  more  service  to  them  than  the 
things  they  parted  with.  A  skin  house,  willi  its  interior 
fittings  complete,  and  a  large  sledge  most  ingeniouslv 
made  of  driftwood,  bone,  and  ivor\-,  were  obtained  in  ex- 
change for  a  hatchet,  a  saw,  and  two  files.  Two  or  three 
boards  and  an  empty  flour-barrel  pleased  them  l)e\ond 
description,  as  it  provided  them  with  enough  wood  to 
make  their  harpoons,  paddles,  and  sledges  wiihout  the 
months  of  labor  which  had  evidently  been  expended  in 
binding  together  the  numerous  fragments  of  wood  and 
bone  of  which  their  sledges  and  other  implements  were 
constructed. 

During  our  stay  we  had  an  excellent  opportunitv  of 
observing  their  mode  of  life.  Their  food  consisted  of  the 
flesh  and  blubber  of  the  walrus,  narwhal,  and  seal,  and 
we  saw  lying  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  tents,  on  the 
bare  ground,  the  partially-consumed  carcasses  of  .several 
of  these  ani'uals,  the  walrus  predominating.  The  flesh 
was  neither  frozen  nor  decomposed,  and  appeared  to  have 
been  recently  obtained.    At  irregular  intervals,  according 


^f 

^  1     • 

1 

,; 

'■  ■  i 

'      1    ' 

'  it 


ct'f 


■i  ''. 


If 


f! 

ii 

If: 

fc* 

-f- 

! 

»' 

I 

i 


1 20 


AV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


as  their  huiifrcr  moved  them,  thev  would  cut  from  a  car- 
cass,  with  an  old  knife,  a  long  strip  of  flesh  or  blubber 
so  larj^e  that  it  would  barely  go  into  their  mouths.  This 
strip  was  held  in  the  teeth,  while,  with  a  sawing  move- 


KSKIMO     KMVKb. 


ment,  a  morsel  was  cut  off  so  close  to  the  mouth  that 
their  noses  appeared  to  be  in  imminent  peril.  Thus, 
without  cooking  or  other  preparation,  they  ate  the  dirty 
mass  of  fat  and  flesh,  apparently  with  great  relish.  We 
saw  no  cooked  food  of  any  description,  nor  any  sign  of 
the  use  of  vegetable  food.  So  far  as  we  could  determine, 
they  are  entirely  carnivorous,  the  fat  and  oil  of  the  blub- 
ber taking  the  place  of  the  vegetable  food  demanded  by 
our  systems.  The  teeth  of  the  Eskimos,  as  far  as  we  ob- 
served, showed  no  evidence  of  decay,  and,  instead  of 
losing  them  by  disease,  they  are  generally  retained  until 


THE    lOY.K.E  OF   HIE  Kill-:. 


121 


death,  as  was  shown  by  the  skulls  which  were  broiij>ht 
back.  As  a  rule,  they  were  very  much  worn  awav,  it 
bein^-  quite  coiunion  to  see  the  entire  crown  of  the  tooth 
gone  and  the  dentine  exposed,  surrounded  by  a  narrow 
rim  of  enamel.  This  wearing  away  is  probably  due  to 
the  chewing  of  the  tough  animal  tissues  on  which  the 
natives  subsist,  the  residue  of  which,  after  having  been 
deprived  of  all  nutriment,  is  spit  out.  The  custom  they 
have  of  chewing  the  garments  in  order  to  make  them 
more  pliable  also  aids  in  accounting  for  this  condition. 

The  interior  of  the  tents  was  furnished  only  with  a 
lieap  of  skins  and  rubbish  on  which  the  occupants  slept. 
In  one  of  them  a  lamp  was 
found  burning.  It  was 
made  of  a  slightly  hollowed 
slab  of  soapstone  or  some- 
thing similar,  and  was  filled 
with  fat  squeezed  from  blub- 
ber. In  it  was  a  wick  made  of  twisted  moss;  this,  though 
burning  with  a  rather  dull  and  sickly  flame,  seemed  to 
be  the  only  means  they  had  of  getting  heat  and  light. 
They  obtained  their  fire,  apparently,  by  the  use  of  flint, 
and  tinder  made  from  dried  moss.  The  surroundings  of 
the  village  were  filthy  in  the  extreme.  Bones  of  animals 
and  birds  and  half-decomposea  fragments  of  animal  ref- 
use lay  around  in  every  direction.  Two  leashes  of  Es- 
kimo dogs,  .securely  tied  near  the  tents,  regarded  the 
strangers  with  distrust. 

The  natives  themselves  were  as  friendly  as  possible, 
evincing  their  pleasure  at  seeing  us  in  gestures  and  cries 


I  AMI'  MADE  Ol-  Sl)AI'>TU.\r.. 


i^: 


'  1  r 

i 


IF 


!    ,f 


122 


/A'  ARCTIC  si:,  is. 


and  followiiiiLj  lis  c\(.'r\  where.  The  cliiUlrcn,  however 
a])peat'e(l  frij^hteiied,  and  one  or  two  cried  piteously  if  we 
ai)])roached  them.  One  of  tlie  men  seemed  to  be 
demented  or  idiotic.  He  uttered  hoarse  <.(iittural  cries, 
and  would  walk  around  members  of  the  party  with  a 
curious  step,  occasionall\-  shontin<;  with  seeminj^-  <^ratifica- 
tioii.  We  noticed  that  he  did  not  accompany  the  other 
men,  ])nt  was  left  with  the  women  and  children.  It  was 
of  course  impossible  to  understand  them  except  by  mo- 
tions, but  these  were  readily  interpreted.  The  men  were 
well    formed    and   sli<j:htl\'   below    the    medium    hei<':ht. 


AN   AKcnC    HF.I.I.E. 


Their  complexions  were  swarthy,  and  one  or  two  had 
small  beards  or  moustaches.  The  women  were  short  and 
squatty,  with   faces  broad  and  good-natured  looking  in 


ITJT 


Till-:  \()y.\(.i'.  or  ////•;  k ///•:. 


123 


spite  of  the  small  and  .slatitin<j^  eyes  and  wide  mouths. 
The  costnnu-  worn  was  the  same  in  both  sexes,  and  etni- 
sistcd  of  a  skin  jaeket  and  breeches.  .Some  ot"  the 
women  had  double  jackets,  the  inner  beinj.^  made  of  bird- 
skins  and  the  outer  of  seal.  In  this  case  the  feather 
side  was  worn  next  the  skin,  the  fur  beinj^^on  the  outside. 
All  of  the  people  were  indescribabK-  filthy,  and  had 
evidently  never  had  a  bath  in  their  lives.  The  odors 
about  their  tents  were  nanseatinii^,  and  their  bodies 
seemed  to  give  off  the  rank  smell  of  seal  oil. 

The  plateau  on  which  they  lived  was  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  broad  and  stretched  back  to  the  hij^h  cliffs  of 
the  mainland.  It  was  covered  with  flowers  and  j^rasses, 
and  moss  j^rew  in  abundance.  Altoii^ether,  they  had 
selected  a  choice  spot  for  their  camp,  which  overlo(jked 
both  the  fiord  and  the  waters  of  Whale  Sound,  and  seemed 
to  be  perfectly  contented  with  their  lot. 

I  was  fjreatly  interested  in  (jbservinj^  the  peculiar 
habits  and  mode  of  life  of  these  most  northern  Eskimos, 
and  in  contrasting^  them  with  those  of  the  natives  of 
Terra  del  Fuej;o.  The  Fnejj^ians  are  the  sava<;e  inhabit- 
ants of  the  island  which  is  situated  at  the  extreme  end 
of  South  America,  beinsj^  separated  from  it  by  the  Strait 
of  IMaoellan.  The  interior  of  the  countr\'  has  never  been 
explored,  and  the  only  knowled.uje  we  have  of  an\-  inhabit- 
ants is  of  those  livintr  on  tlie  shores  bordering:  tiie  strait. 
From  this  circumstance  they  are  sometimes  spoken  of 
as  "  tlie  dwellers  of  the  straits." 

Three  years  ago,  while  voyap-ing  from  Philadelphia 
to  San  Francisco,  I  passed  through  the  Strait  of  ]\Iagel- 


1 

.     i 

\     \ 

, 

1 

i   1 


i  Mi 


^':| 


tl- 


124 


/.\'  .lA'c/vc  s/:.is. 


\U 


Ian,  ami  liad  an  c-xcflk'iU  opporttmity  of  obscrviti"^  the 
nati\t's.  The  i)assajj^c  through  the  straits  was  a  tedious 
and  difTicult  one,  consnniin<i;  nearly  a  week's  time.  This 
was  oceasioned  b\  the  peeuliar  character  of  the  currents 
and  tide,  which  often  necessitated  our  lyin<,^  at  anchor  for 
many  hours  at  a  time.  It  was  durinj;  these  periods  that 
the  natives  came  to  the  ship  and  we  were  enabled  to 
visit  the  shore.  The  Ivskimos,  althon.q;h  livinj.^  in  a  far 
more  desolate  and  ri^^orotis  re<;ion  than  the  dwellers  of 
the  straits,  and  haviujj;^  le.ss  opportunity  for  contact  with 
civilized  man,  >et  exhibit  jj^reater  intellifj^ence  and  abil- 
ity in  providin<i^  for  their  wants  than  do  the  Fueji^ians. 
Why  this  should  be  it  is  impossible  even  to  conjecture. 
All  travellers  agree  in  placinj^  the  Fuegians  the  lowest 
in  the  scale  of  humanity.  Inhabiting,  as  they  do,  a  land 
in  which  rain,  sleet,  and  snow  are  of  constant  occurrence, 
and  a  day  of  continuous  sunshine  almost  unknown,  they 
are  yet  too  ignorant  to  clothe  themselves,  notwithstand- 
ing an  abundance  of  fur-bearing  animals.  They  scarcely 
make  any  attempt  at  protecting  themselves  from  a  cli- 
mate that  is  more  trying  to  the  health  of  humanity  than 
any  encountered  beyond  the  Arctic  Circle. 

The  Fuegiaus  that  I  have  seen  were  absolutely  with- 
out astonishment  at  anything  that  was  shown  them,  and 
had  not  the  slightest  conception  of  tlie  use,  edect,  or 
advantage  of  fire-arms. 

The  Eskimos,  on  the  contrary,  show  considerable 
skill  and  intelligence  in  the  construction  of  their  stone 
huts,  weapons,  kajaks,  sledges,  etc.,  and  the  taming  and 
control  of  their  dogs  are  remarkable.      They  also  ap- 


THE  ro): !(,/■:  or  ////•;  a///-: 


125 


pcart'd  to  express  inncli  astonishment  and  wonder  at  the 
sif^ht  of  Cancasians,  and  were  evidentl)  aware  of  the 
snperiorily  of  the  white  man.  They  exliihited  espteial 
deli<4;ht  when  shown  onr  fire-arms,  many  of  whieh  were 
of  sneh  a  recent  and  improved  mechanism  as  to  have 
rendered  it  impossible  for  them  to  have  ever  seen  the 
like  before,  yet  the  nses  and  advanta,L,a^s  of  which  they 
readily  nnderstood  and  appreciated. 

The  Eskimos  were  also  excellent  mimics  both  of 
sonnd  and  <;estnre,  and  wonld  repeat  with  accnracy  the 
words  and  actions  of  the  members  of  onr  party.  On  one 
occasion  Dr.  Hn<i;hes  was  wanted,  and  the  natives,  abont 
a  dozen  in  nnmber,  hearini;;^  his  name,  be<^an  niimicin<4 
and  callinjr,  "  Hnj^hes!  Hn.i^hes!  Ilnohes!"  This  pro- 
voked a  lant^h,  in  which  they  likewise  joined,  as  if  also 
enjoyini,^  the  joke.  Other  points  of  contrast  between  the 
Eskimos  and  Fnes,nans  snj,^<,rested  themselves,  bnt  these 
were  the  most  striking. 

A  large  nnmber  of  stone-piles  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
settlement  having  attracted  onr  attention,  we  were  in- 
formed, by  signs,  of  conrse,  that  they  contained  stores  of 
meat  and  blnbber  intended  for  winter  nse  ;  others  which 
we  saw  contained  the  bodies  of  departed  Eskimos  bnried 
as  they  had  died,  in  fnll  costnme. 

The  gronnd  is  continnally  frozen  from  a  few  inches 
below  the  snrface  to  the  depth  of  many  feet;  hence  the 
necessity  for  this  mode  of  bnrial.  The  nnmber  of  graves 
observed  was  much  larger  than  that  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  place. 

Being  desirous  of  procuring  some  skulls  and  bones  to 


I 


"    ( 


V^ 


ml 
ml 


*    ■,,1       !  I- 


?'■" 


126 


AV  ,IA'c'/7C  s/-:.is. 


take  hoiiK'  tor  scifulific  purposes,  wo  wandered  leisurelv 
about  these  stone-])iles,  lupiiifj  firsl  niaua<4ed  to  have  the 
attention  of  the  nati\es  di\erteil  to  another  direction  by 
some  of  our  men.  Manx-  of  the  bodies  were  scarcely 
hidden,  owiuj^  to  the  stones  haxinj^  rolled  away,  and  it 
looked  as  thou.t,di  little  attention  had  been  j)aid  to  these 
<4 raves  since  first  they  were  made. 

Our  search  was  finally  rewarded  by  the  discoverv  of  a 
bo(l\-  in  a  partiall\-  mu  nmified  condition,  which  had  evi- 
dently been  buried  a  lon;^  time.  It  was  envelo])ed  in  a 
bear-skin  i^arment,  parts  of  which  still  adhered  to  the 
bones.  Hastily  removinjj^  the  body  from  its  tomb,  we 
left  it  Kinj^  on  the  <;round  1)eside  the  pile  of  stones,  for 
we  feared  to  excite  the  animosity  of  the  Eskimos  bv  thus 
despoilini^  the  .i^raves  of  their  anccst<n-s.  We  found, 
afterward,  that  there  was  not  the  sli<^l:cest  necessit\-  for 
our  hax'in^  had  any  uneasiness  on  that  score,  for  tlie\- 
themsehes  cheerfully  helped  us  to  discover  and  carr\'  to 
the  shij)  skulls  and  other  fra<;nieuts  of  mortality.  Hav- 
iu;>-  successfulh-  avoided  their  ol)ser\-ation,  the  body  was 
quickly  wrapped  in  an  old  coat  and,  thus  enveloped,  cou- 
ve\e(l  on  board  the  vessel.  Two  small  models  of  har- 
|)oons  and  a  little  sledi^^e  were  found  in  the  tomb,  and 
it  was  evident,  not  less  from  the  care  with  which  the 
bod;.-  had  been  buried  than  from  the  size  of  the  bones, 
that  the  deceased  was  a  man,  and  had  been,  in  his  time, 
a  person  of  some  importance. 


CMAPTKR   IX. 
HiCRnKUT   Island.— Fox-TRAi'S.— A   (iRKHx  Spot  amonc.  tiik 

(W.ACII.US.  -MCCOKMICK       HAV.      CmooSINM;      a      Sl'OT       l-OK 

riCAuv's  Camp.     IUirj)iNC.  tiik  iiocsi:.— a  Cmmh  to  tup: 
IcK  Cap. 

/^UR  invcsti^rations  finished,  we  returned  to  the  .ship, 
^-^  which  was  then  headed  up  Whale  vSonnd.      P.ef"ore 
Herbert  Island  was  pa.ssed  it  was  evident  that  we  could 
not  hope  to  reach  Inulefield  (lulf  by  that  channel.     The 
ice  had  never  started  from  the  oujf^  and  stretched  in  one 
vast,  unbroken  sheet  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.      We 
therefore  altered   our  course  and  steered  alon^^  the  edj^^e 
of  the  ice  to  Herbert  Island,  and,  .skirtin<r  its  shores,  en- 
tered the  channel  between  Herbert  and  Northumberland 
Islands  to  reach  Murchin.son  Sound,  which  also  commu- 
nicates with   lu^rlefield  (iulf     Several  stops  were  made 
to  examine  the  shores  of  Herbert  Island,  which  .seemed 
to  be  more  j^a-een  and  attractive  than  the  rest  of  the  land. 
Quite  a  number  of  stone  li'-is  and  '"caches"  or  stone- 


piles  containing;  blubber,  stored   by   the   Ksl 
seen,  but  none  of  the  natives  them.selve.s. 
be  a  number    here  durintr   the  wititi 


kimos,   'vere 


Tliere  unist 


er,  ;is    the  quantity 


of  blubber,  huts,  sledges,  etc.  found   was   comparatively 
large. 

In  exploring  the  land   in   liie  vicinitv  we  ran  acros.s 


:  -i  •  . 


'  i 


■  it 


» 


\ri 


If 


11 


12<S 


/W  ARCTIC  SILIS. 


quite  a  niiinhcr  oi"  fox-traps;  these  were  tlie  first  we  liad 
seen,  and  interested  ns  j^reatly.  They  were  small  rec- 
tanj^iihir  ])()\-cs  Uuilt  of  stones,  liuvintr  only  a  sin<i^le 
entrance.     Over  this  openinj^  is  snspended  or  balanced 


KSKIMO    sroNK    DWr.I.I.INCS. 


b\  means  of  a  leather  thon*^,  a  slab  of  Seone;  to  theotlier 
end  of  the  thonj^  the  bait  is  fastened,  and  it  is  so  arranged 
that  a  sli<;ht  pnll  n])on  it  will  canse  the  slab  to  fall,  thus 
efTectually  closinii;  the  entrance.  The  box  or  cave  is  so 
narrow  that  the  fox  cannot  turn  around  or  burrow  out  of 
its  stone  prison.  They  all  showed  sijj^ns  of  liavint;'  been 
recent!}'   looked  after  and   set,  which    was    rey;arded  as 


yy/A"  ro):  !(,/•:  of  riii':  kiiI':. 


129 


another   evidence  that    the   natives  had   departed   only 
recently. 

In  the  vicinity  of  the  lints  vcp^etation  flonrishcd. 
This  was  probably  dne  to  the  sheltered  location  and 
jjjreat  qnantity  of  refnse  an.inial  matter  lyin<^  eve r\  where 
aronnd.  \'e.i;;etation,  althou<;h  j^enerally  si)arst  in  (ireen- 
land,  occasionally  flonrishes  with  \i<;or  in  a  few  well- 
sheltered  and  watered  spots.  Some  <^rasse.;  of  the 
vorieties  occnrrinjr  in  temperate  climes  are  occasionally 
■ci  n  nrrowinjj^  as  liii^h  and  lnxnriantl\  as  at  home,  and 
towers  of  jijreat  dclicac)'  both  of  form  and  color  are  fonnd 
in  profnsion  in  some  places.  Yellow  poppies  and  dande- 
lions are  also  met  with  in  considerable  nnmbers;  even 
the  bntterfly  was  there,  several  varieties  bein.i;  captnred. 
Flies  which  resembled  very  closely  the  common  honse- 
fly  were  also  seen,  but  were  neither  so  tormenting  nor  so 
numerous  as  those  found  in  civilized  communities. 
The\'  have  not  the  opportunity  to  devote  such  a  lar^e 
amount  c^  their  attention  to  humanity  as  do  those  we 
have  a'  i.o.ne.  The  mosquitoes,  on  the  contrary-,  are 
quite  ii;  '.  ea-.ns  in  (rreenland,  and  were  a  constant  source 
of  ann.";  I'Mfe  and  discomfort.  Our  heav\' clothinj;-  pro 
tected  our  ;■(  lies,  but  the  fatx-s  of  many  of  us  were  con- 
siderably dii-5fjnred  and  itiulered  ([uite  painful  by  their 
attacks. 

il.e  scenery  was  j^rand  and  iui;)ressive.  Glaciers  were 
to  be  seen  at  every  turn,  and  the  ])rtakin!j^  and  falling 
into  *ie  sea  of  larj4e  icebergs  was  tVe(piently  witnessed. 
The  r  i-,r-  and  vibration  caused  bv  this  breaking  ice  were 
lilniosi  r.u-only  sounds  to  be  heard  in  these  lonely  waters, 


: 


Wr 


imMi 


13" 


/N  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


and  the  echoes  and  rcvcrl)crations  anionic  the  solitude  of 
mountains  and  <^ort(es  were  productive  of  a  fL'clin<(  of 
awe  which  was  i)erliaps  increased  by  an  a])])reciati()n 
of  the  dreariness  of  our  situation  and  the  knowledge  of 
our  distance  from  any  civilized  port  or  assistance.  The 
slii^htest  accident  mii>;ht  have  delayed  our  vessel  and 
there])y  rendered  a  return  home,  for  that  season  at 
least,  impossible,  and  subje^  d  us  to  the  often  told  ex- 
perience of  misery  and  haruv  in  this  far-away  and 
desolate  rej^ion. 

A  few  weeks  only  remained  of  the  summer  in  which 
to  navigate  these  uncertain  and  dan<^erons  seas,  and  then 
it  would  be  necessary  to  turn  our  prow  southward. 

All  the  followin<j^  day  was  sjient  by  the  party  sent  out 
from  the  ship  in  a  boat  in  searchiufi;  for  a  suitable  spot 
on  which  to  build  Pearj's  winter  quarters.  They  found 
MeCormick  Ray  to  be  an  arm  runninjj^  off  from  MiHchin- 
son  Sound  in  a  general  north-easterly  direction.  Its 
upper  part  was  securely  locked  in  ice,  and  a  great  glacier 
was  visible  running  down  at  the  head.  The  north-west 
shore,  which  was  the  one  first  investigated,  was  reached 
oidy  after  considerable  difficulty,  on  account  of  the  field 
of  ice  which  stretched  out  from  its  sides  far  into  the  bay. 
It  was  bleak  and  inhospitable,  and  no  suitable  landing- 
place  could  be  found.  The  north-east  shore,  on  the 
other  hand,  appeared  in  every  way  suitable  for  a  camp. 
A  good  beach  runninj-  up  to  a  little  bluff  about  twenty 
feet  high  was  found,  which  was  continued  by  a  gentle 
but  steadily  increasing  incline  as  the  ground  rose  to  the 
rampart  of  cliffs  that  marked  the  edge  of  the  great  inland 


'////•;  ro):  !(,/■:  or  ////■:  kite. 


131 


plateau.  The  surface  from  the  Ix'ach  back  to  the  cliffs 
was  covered  with  a  hixuriaut  j^rowth  of  flowers.  Yellow 
poppies  nodded  like  daisies  in  the  l)ri<;ht  suuli<;ht,  pur- 
ple heaths  and  other  flowers  abounded,  and  once  in  a 
while  a  butterfly  would  lazily  float  alon,i,r  jn  the  balmy 
air.  It  was  very  difficult  to  realize  that  we  were  less 
than  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  the  Pole,  and 
within  a  short  distance  of  the  spot  where  the  Kane  expe- 
dition had  spent  two  miserable  winters  frozen  in  the 
ice. 

A  pretty  flower-covered  knoll,  risin.t,^  about  twenty 
feet  above  hi<,di  tide  and  .souie  fifty  feet  back  from  the 
beach,  was  the  site  chosen  for  the  camp,  and  the  selec- 
tion submitted  to  Lieutenant  Peary  for  his  decision. 
The  lieutenant  would  ha\«.  ^  referred  a  location  on  the 
north-west  shore,  where  bettei  protection  would  have 
been  afforded  from  severe  winds,  but  he  acquiesced  in  the 
judgment  of  his  comrades,  and  the  site  of  his  future 
quarters  was  formally  settled.  Now  it  was  that  the  tin- 
fortunate  accident  which  had  befallen  him  was  most 
severely  felt,  for  he  could  not  even  .see,  except  by  the 
feeble  aid  of  a  mirror  held  over  the  .skylight,  the  shores 
on  which  he  was  to  make  his  home. 

The  next  four  days  were  consumed  in  hard  and  diffi- 
cult labor.  We  v/ere  unable  to  anchor  on  account  of 
the  danger  from  drifting  floes,  and  were  compelled  to 
steam  .slowly  up  and  down  the  shore  oi)posite  the  camp 
while  the  stores  of  the  North  (".reenland  party  and 
the  material  for  Peary's  house  were  landed  by  small 
boats.      This  having  been  accomplished,  a  foundation 


\  I 


HI 


I 
I  ''I 


lii»-. 


I^-^  T  1 


'^r  ^  I 


132 


AV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


\ 

'Www  < 


:1^' 


was  prepared  in  the  hard,  frozen  soil,  the  frame  set  up, 
and  the  building  erected. 

The  situation  of  the  house  appeared  to  every  one  to 
be  as  favorable  as  could  have  been  selected.  A  little 
stream  of  water  ran  near  at  hand,  while  numerous  rein- 
deer-tracks were  found  and  several  deer  observed  at  a 
distance.  Two  pairs  of  large  antlers  were  brought  on 
board,  having  been  found  among  the  rocks,  as  well  as 
the  skeleton  of  a  reindeer  which  was  obtained  at  the 
base  of  a  high  cliff:  as  many  of  the  bones  were  broken, 
it  was  thought  quite  probable  that  the  animal  had  met 
its  death  bv  falling  from  the  rockv  heights  above.  The 
abundant  signs  of  game  in  the  neighborhood  encour- 
aged the  hope  of  it  serving  in  the  future  as  a  source  of 
supply  of  fresh  meat  should  necessity  require.  No  at- 
tempt was  made  during  our  stay  to  capture  any  of  these 
animals,  because  it  was  the  wish  of  Lieutenant  Peary 
that  they  should  not  be  disturbed,  as  he  thought  it  best 
to  reserve  them  for  possible  emergencies  later  on.  The 
waters  abounded  in  seal  and  walrus,  quite  a  number  be- 
ing seen  during  our  stay. 

The  camp,  not  yet  named,  was  situated  on  the  north- 
east side  of  McCormick  Bay.  This  bay  is  about  ten 
miles  long  and  five  miles  wide,  and  forms  a  well-shel- 
tered and  desirable  harbor.  Its  latitude  is  77°  43',  but 
the  charts  are  so  defective  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
indicate  the  exact  position  of  the  camp  without  elaborate 
surveys.  Its  present  location  is  to  be  found  by  crossing 
Whale  Sound,  passing  between  Herbert  and  Northum- 
berland  Inlands,    thence   across   Murchinsor.   Sound    to 


; 


!1 


THE    VQYAC.E  OF    ri//-:  KITE. 


m 


^McCormick  Ray,  on  the  shores  of  wliich  are  Lieutenant 
Peary's  quarters.  The  striking  red  color  of  the  moun- 
tain-side, a  mile  to  the  eastward,  is  a  prominent  land- 
mark should  an  attempt  be  made  to  find  this  spot  again. 


11 


LirXlKNANl     I'KAKV  ^    CAMI'.    McC'oRMK  K    HAY. 

The  house  being  small,  one  might  easily  fail  to  observe 
it  while  looking  from  the  bay,  but  the  red  mountain-side 
forms  a  sufficiently  conspicuous  object  to  attract  atten- 
tion. The  water  in  the  bay  was  quite  deep,  thirteen 
fathoms  being  found  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the 
shore — a  circumstance  that  greatly  facilitated  the  unload- 
ing of  the  vessel.  We  found  considerable  ice  present, 
but,  the  south  side  being  comparatively  clear,  we  were 
enabled  to  stay  without  danger  until  the  work  on  shore 


m 


:».\ 


134 


AV  ARCnC  SE.LS. 


was  nearly  finished  and  Lieutenant  Peary  and  his  com- 
panions were  established  in  comfortable  quarters. 

On  Sunday,  July  26th,  I  went  ashore  earl\'  in  the  day 
to  explore  the  liij^h  table-land  situated  back  of  the  newly- 
established  camp.  This  land  rose  abruptly  from  the 
level  of  the  water  to  a  heij^ht  of  some  two  thousand  feet. 
From  the  shij)  it  appeared  to  be  an  immense  plain  among 
the  clouds,  and  was  the  only  land  of  such  an  elevation 
that  we  had  seen  free  from  snow  and  ice.  I  endeavored 
to  induce  some  of  our  party  to  accompany  me  in  its  as- 
cent, but  as  none  desired  to  undertake  the  climb,  I  was 
forced  to  make  it  alone.  The  rise  was  gradual  from  the 
water's  edge  for  the  distance  of  about  a  mile,  when  it  be- 
gan to  get  more  difficult  and  dangerous.  Loose  earth  and 
rock  covered  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  much  of  the 
wa\'  was  necessarily  traversed  on  our  hands  and  knees. 
The  stones  and  fragments  loosened  bv  climbing  rolled 
behind  until  thev  reached  the  bottom  of  the  gorges  and 
chasms  hundreds  of  feet  below.  The  stillness  and  quiet 
of  the  scene  were  intense,  and  the  awesome  feeling  pro- 
duced as  one  neared  the  top,  after  three  hours  of  hard 
and  trying  work,  was  absolutely  indescribable.  The 
view  from  this  point  was  simply  magnificent.  I  was 
standing  on  the  edge  of  what  appeared  to  be  a  limitless 
plain.  For  a  distance  of  two  or  three  miles  the  ground 
was  bare,  free  from  snow  and  ice,  and  composed  of  small 
pebbles  and  stones  with  hardly  any  earth  interspersed. 
Beyond  this,  and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  was  a 
covering  of  snow  and  ice  which  is  known  as  the  "ice 
cap,"  and  supposed  to  cover  the  greater  part  of  Green- 


< 


THE    VOYAGE  OE   THE  KITE 


.\") 


land.  No  spurs  of  mountains  or  elevations  of  land  were 
noticeable:  for  the  many  miles  I  could  see  the  view  pre- 
sented one  j^reat  unbroken  level  of  ice  and  snow.  It  is 
onlv  the  laud  borderin<i[-  the  sea  that  shows  the  vejj-e- 
tation  and  holds  the  animals  that  have  already  been 
described  :  beyond  must  be  one  j^reat  solitude.  I  re- 
mained an  hour  on  this  vast  plain,  far  from  the  ship  and 
my  companions,  and  had  never  experienced  a  feeliu<if 
of  more  utter  loneliness  and  uudefinable  fear  than  during^ 
this  solitary  wanderinj^.  It  was  with  considerable  relief 
that  I  arrived  once  more  aboard  ship,  thorouiL^^hly  tired 
and  ready  for  bed,  but  not,  however,  without  first  iuter- 
estiuf^  all  the  party  so  much  with  an  account  of  my  trip 
as  to  cause  many  of  them  to  express  their  intention  of 
accompanying  me  on  another  visit  to  ''my  plateau." 

On  the  ensuing  day  the  construction  of  Lieutenant 
Peary's  house  was  going  on  rapidly,  and  as  his  men,  with 
part  of  the  ship's  crew,  were  ample  for  the  work,  the 
services  of  the  Academy  party  were  not  needed. 

By  ten  o'clock  the  mountain  expedition  was  readv  to 
start,  and  with  a  good  supply  of  food  and  instruments 
the  ascent  was  begun.  The  day  was  a  most  agreeable 
one,  the  cloudless  sky  and  genial  sunshine  nuiking  the 
temperature  seem  much  higher  than  was  indicated  by  the 
thermometer.  A  light  breeze  just  ruffled  the  waters  of 
the  bay  and  caused  a  little  surf  to  beat  upon  the  beach. 
]\Ir.  Kenealy,  Dr.  Burk,  and  myself  kept  together  during 
the  trip,  while  Drs.  Sharp  and  Hughes,  Mr.  Mengel,  and 
Professor  Heilprin  made  the  ascent  from  another  point. 
Walking  along  the  shores  of  the  bay,  we  arrived  at  a 


I     '  I 


■\\\ 


IH 


If;  3 
•1*1 

ill 


H   'let: 


r 


5     ,1 
!     " 


\ri  I 


136 


AV  .lA'CT/C  s/:.is 


small  ravine  wlurc  a  snow-fed  stream  came  dashinjj^  down 
the  mountain.  I'p  this  r.ivine  we  slowly  wended  our 
course,  avoidin.^-,  as  well  as  we  could,  the  anjj^ular  boul- 
ders with  which  its  sides  were  strewn.  As  we  advanced 
a  careful  watch  was  kept  for  a  slopinj^^  bank  by  vhich  we 
mij^ht  be  enabled  to  escape  from  the  little  canyon  the 
stream  had  carved  for  itself,  and  which  with  every  foot 
became  narrower  and  more  precipitous.  A  grassy  slope 
at  length  was  reached,  and  with  occasional  pauses  we 
managed  to  climb  without  difficulty  to  a  height  of  about 
one  thousand  feet.  The  ground  up  to  this  point  was 
covered  with  vegetation  of  the  sparse  character  seen  in 
Greenland.  Above,  all  was  .shaly  rock  which  seemed  to 
rise  almost  perpendicularly.  Carefully  picking  our  way, 
now  on  a  ridge  of  basalt,  now  on  shaly,  slippery  rock,  we 
scrambled  often  on  all-fours.  The  final  twenty  feet  or  so 
of  the  ascent  was  most  difficult,  being  made  over  an  out- 
cropping of  slate  which  cracked  and  splintered  v/henever 
touched.  It  was  impossible  to  secure  a  safe  foothold, 
and  every  time  one  slipped  it  seemed  as  if  nothing  but  a 
miracle  would  prevent  a  fall  to  the  depths  below.  Above 
the  shale  was  a  thick  layer  of  gravel,  crossing  which  our 
arms  were  over  the  edge  of  the  table-land,  and  the  climb 
was  finished. 

One  can  hardly  describe  the  peculiar  sight  which  met 
the  eye  as  our  heads  rose  above  the  surface  of  the  plain. 
For  over  two  hours  we  had  been  scrambling  up  the  rocky 
cliffs  without  encountering  a  single  ledge  that  was  level 
or  .secure,  yet  in  an  instant  we  were  in  full  view  of  an 
enormous  plain,  almost  perfectly  horizontal,  and  without 


l|i 


, ) 


THE    VOYACE  OE   THE  KITE. 


^11 


a  sinj>le  rock  or  stone  to  break  its  monotony.  The  place 
at  which  we  reached  the  top  was  free  from  snow  or  ice, 
and,  indeed,  this  was  the  reason  it  had  been  selected. 
Abont  a  mile  1)ack  was  the  foot  of  the  j^reat  ice  cap, 
which  extended,  a  dazzling  expan.se  of  white  snow,  nntil 
its  distant  border  became  mer<;ed  with  the  skv. 

The  soil  was  made  np  of  «jravel  and  small  pebbles, 
while  here  and  there  onr  botanist  fonnd  little  plants, 
among  others  the  poppy  and  bnttercnp.  vSome  of  the 
flowers  of  the  poppy,  ihongh  evidently  of  the  same  species 
as  the  >ellow  ones  of  tlie  lower  levels,  were  here  pnre 
white  in  color.  The  bnttercnp  appeared  to  be  of  the 
same  .species  as  onr  own,  bnt  was  only  an  inch  or  two  in 
height.  Its  leaves  and  flowers,  and  even  the  bulb,  were 
the  same  as  onr  common  crow's-foot,  only  reprodnced  in 
miniatnre.  The  pebbles  were  of  many  kinds,  and  had 
evidently  been  swept  by  glacier  action  from  rocks  manv 
miles  away.  Among  them  were  qnartz,  jasper,  and  agate, 
two  very  pretty  moss-agates  also  being  fonnd. 

The  view  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff",  looking  ont  to  the 
sea,  was  .simply  magnificent.  Directly  beneath  lay  the 
blue  waters  of  the  bay,  with  onr  ship,  looking  like  a  toy, 
near  the  shore;  Peary's  camp  was  only  a  little  speck  on 
the  landscape,  and  while  we  could  hardly  see  the  small 
boats  as  they  passed  from  the  vessel  to  the  shore,  >et 
when  eight  bells  struck  on  the  ship  we  heard  the  sound 
with  faint  distinctness.  Immediately  opposite  the  bay 
lay  Herbert  Island  with  its  countless  glaciers;  just  be- 
yond was  Northumberland  Island,  and  still  further  out 
to  sea  was  the  rugged  outline  of  Hakluyt  Island,  th  -  far- 


'  '  ! 


h 


\k\ 


ti 


\ ' 


1  \  1 


li 


i.     m^v.. 


J3« 


/.\'  ./A'(  /■/(■  s/:.is. 


tlu-sl 


point  north  ixai-lu'd  l)\ 


iJafl 


ill  in  his  faiiioiis  xovaLrt' 


of  if)if).    'IMic  upiKi  naohc'soi"  McConnick  I!ay  were  lilKd 
^vith  ice,  as  was  also  Intrl<.'li<-"1<1  (lulf.      A\\a\'  to  the  south 


.,iife«- 


stretched  the  bold  front  of  Ca]ic  I'arr\',  and  1)e\-ond  it  the 
open  water  of  I»airin  lUu'.  iMoni  Cape  Acland  to  Cap/c 
Parry  the  view  was  snperb,  the  blue  water  beinij^  dotted 


wi 


til  iceberus  of  everv  size,  which  "leatned  in  the  s 


nn- 


tl 


nil:      rO.K.I:     Oh     I  III:     Kill:. 


'  v; 


lij^lil  liki-  tlu-  sails  of  sliii)S.  TIk-  siltiifi-  wliii'li  pnx  aiUd 
iiii pressed  the  others  as  it  had  iiie  on  thi-  pve\  ions  ascent, 
for  no  bird  or  animal  appeari'd  to  break  the  niter  stillness 
of  the  scene. 

We  seated  ourselves  on  the  flat  <;ronnd  and  ri  inained 
some  lime  admiring  tlu-  \  iew,  after  which  we  tnrned  in- 
land toward  the  ice  cap.  Uefore  reachinj^  it  the  j^ronnd 
became  moist  and  s])ri>i.';\'  from  the  nnmerons  streams 
fed  by  mcltinj;  ice,  bnl  o:.ce  upon  the  snow,  all  diflienlty 
in  walkinj;  ceased.  We  fonnd  it  hard  and  compact,  and 
the  prospects  of  easy  travellin<;-  in  the  sprinjj^  for  Lienten- 
ant  Peary  seemed  <;ood  shonld  hcsncceid  in  reachinj^  the 
ice  cap  with  his  stores  of  provisions.  The  difficulty  we 
had  fonnd  in  climbinj.,^  the  monntain  was])robabl\  much 
jjreater  than  what  he  will  be  likely  to  encounter  in  the 
early  sj)rin<4-,  v.dien  the  j^lacier  fronts,  in  all  probability, 
will  extend  far  out  to  sea,  and  provide  a  more  easy 
means  of  ascent  than  can  be  obtained  by  scalinj;  the 
cliffs. 

The  ice  cap  ap-peared  to  continue  down  to  two  larji^e 
jrlaciers  which  reached  to  the  beach.  Imoui  the  head  of 
these  <rlaciers  it  was  unbroken,  and  extended  inland  with 
a  j,n-adual  and  uniform  slope.  Professor  Ileilprin,  who 
advanced  on  its  surface  farther  than  did  the  others, 
reached  an  altitude  of  2200  feet.  At  the  ed};e  of  the 
clifT  the  lici,[;ht  was  1950  feet. 

A  short  sojourn  on  the  ice  satisfied  our  curiosity,  and 
we  returned  by  the  same  route  taken  in  K^oin.^:  ui).  The 
descent,  for  nniscles  unused  for  weeks  to  such  violent  ex- 
ertions, was  even  more  painful  than  had  been  the  a.scent. 


\  I 


m 


1 1( , 


FTT 


14 


C) 


/.v  .lA'cvvc  s/:.is 


'I'Ik'  ()1i1\  sij^ns  (»raiiiiiial  life  which  aii\-  of  our  |)arh' 
fouiul  on  thfsc  (k'solak-  hi-iiL^hts  wtu-  a  ivindi-fi-trai  k  and 
a  li'W  tutts  of  lo\-hair.  TIk'  sparse  \'i'<^"lalioii  can  \)v 
hilt  link'  atlrac-lixi-  tofilhir  bird  or  hcast,  and  diin'nj^  the 
»;r<.'at(..T  part  of  thf  year  Ihi-  cntiic  pl'itcati  nnist  he  cov- 
c'li'd  with  snow  and  icx-. 

A  iVw  honrs'  iisL  on  hoard  thi-  ship  prepared  ns  for 
further  adxenture.  (ireat  (loeks  of  };uilI<'niols  and  littk- 
aid>:s  were  llyiui^  eonstantly  oN'erhead,  and  tlie  ti-inpta- 
tion  to  shoot  at  them  wasahnost  irresistihk-.  I^ii'utenant 
I'eary,  h()wc\er,  (hd  not  wish  us  to  fire  in  tiie  \  ieinitx 
of  the  eanip,  k-st  Hie  ^anie  should  he  iVi^htened  off;  l)Ut 
in  ou'.-  of  the  ship's  l)oats  we  easih-  ri-aehed  a  spot,  some 
(Hstance  awa\-,  where  there  was  no  dan>'er  of  the  slioot- 


nii!  doiiiij  an\'  nusclucl 


and  where  ^reat  lk)eks  of  birds 
were  eonstantly  passinj^'.  ()ur  luck  wasouK'  fairK'  i^ood, 
llh)U<^h  occasionally  three  or  four  birds  would  fall  at  a 
,sin;;le  shot.  Their  nund)er  was  almost  incalculable, 
passing  all  day  louj;'  in  flocks  or  in  continuous  streams 
()\er  the  ship.  'Vhvy  (k'W  with  a  steady,  rapid  lli.^ht, 
and  fu;  uislu'd  exci'Uent  sport,  but  tlu'ir  pluniaj^e  was  so 
<lense  that  many  which  were  struck  by  the  shot  escaped 
nniujured. 

Later  in  tlu-  exenii'^-  anoth'-r  party  went  to  the  en- 
tranci'  of  McCormick  I'ay,  and  here  had  excellent  sport, 
rclurnini^  with,  lar^e  niunbers  of  the  binls.  'I'he  majority 
of  these  were  iittle  auks,  hut  there  were  also  many  black 
guillemots. 


CIIAI'TIvR     X. 


A  vScirooi.   ()i-  W'liiTi';  Wii\i,i".s.     I{im>iN<;   (idniiiu     ro    Tnic 

I'i:\m'      I'AUTN'.       An     AiuI'K"    S'IOUM.      (  tlv<:\\  i.i.ks.      S,\i  n 

i)i;i(S    Island.     Sojtiiwaki)    ItmNn.     (."kim^on    Cmi'is. 
l\i;i>    .Snow.     'I'm;    C.\   i;     N'okk     .\.\ii\i;s.     .\n     I^skimo 
'I'aii.ok. 

^T^^inC  <1a\s  pa.ssfd  rapi(ll\  in  [hvsv  ]Av:\s:\u[  snnoiuul- 

-^      iiii^s.      'I'lu-  naluralisls    iiixfstinaUd    tin-    adjaci'iit 

sliori'S,  and  hioii.nlit  l)ac-k   to  llir  .sliij)  niaiu-  inlfii'.stinj.^ 

spt'cinii'ns  of   birds'    '>..u:-;s,    insccl.s,    and    ])lan(s.       I'lof. 

vSliarp  dra^,i;i'd  the  l)a\,  and  ohlaincd  .sonif  rallitT  cniion.s 

fonn.s  ol"  marine  lilV,  anions;  otliiMs  a  small  lisli  proxidcd 

willi   a  snckinn  arranj^i'mcnl,  cx-idtnll',   foi'  \\\v  pnrposi- 

of  attacliin_n-  itsidf  lo  ollar  uhjtcls.      'JMie  wak'r  tc(.'nu'd 

with  small  rtd  slirini])S,  which  t-onslitnli'd   the  principal 

food  for  the  mnllitndi' ol"  birds. 

The  work  of  nnloadinj^'  the  ship  still  went  on,  and  as 

e\i'r\' tiling   Iiad  to  be  taken  ashore  in  small  boats,  it  was 

botii  tedions  and  troublesome.      Wedne.sdav  dawneJ  i-old 

and   nnpleasanl,    and   the  snow,    which    iell    the    .,i eater 

])art  of  the  day,  ri'ndend  the  (U'cks  wet  and  disaj^reeable. 

In  the  evenini;  we  weri'  triated  to  the  nnusnal  si<;ht  of  a 

scluK)!  of  wdiile  wliales.       'l'he\'   were   the  first   we  had 

seen,    and   as   they  came   (piite   near   the    ship,    we    had 

ample    opportnnil\'    to   obstrxe    them    carefully.     They 

III 


|,f  I-  f ; 


mj 


ii 


.4!: 
'i'. 


142 


/N  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


remained  near  ns  for  about  half  an  hour,  and  their  play- 
ful and  sportive  actions  afforded  considerable  amusement. 

The  sixth  day  of  our  stay  in  McCormick  Bay  was  so 
fogj^y  that  only  at  occasional  intervals  were  we  able  to 
see  the  shore,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant.  The  house 
having  been  so  far  completed  as  to  render  a  longer  stay 
unnecessary,  it  was  proposed  to  start  on  the  homeward 
trip  that  night,  provided  the  weather  cleared  sufficiently 
to  enable  us  to  see  our  way.  The  fog,  however,  con- 
tinued through  the  night,  but  lifted  at  5.30  the  following 
morning.  We  were  all  called  at  this  liour  to  bid  good- 
by  to  Peary's  party.  Of  the  Peary  expedition  all  except 
the  lieutenant  and  his  wife  had  stayed  aboard,  so  as  to 
write  letters  for  us  to  take  home  for  them.  We  had 
become  greatly  attached  to  one  another,  having  lived  so 
intimately  together  for  two  months  as  one  expedition, 
and  the  parting,  possibly  for  ever,  although  not  demonstra- 
tive, was  painful  to  all.  While  some  were  to  remain  in 
a  desolate  and  unknown  region  that  is  only  within  reach 
of  civilization  for  a  few  short  weeks  during  the  year,  the 
others,  after  their  severe  experience  in  forcing  a  passage 
northward,  were  to  undergo  a  perhaps  still  more  danger- 
ous voyage  to  their  native  land. 

It  made  us  all  sad  and  thoughtful,  and  after  exchang- 
ing a  few  souvenirs  and  well-wishes  we  bade  each  other 
good-by.  Three  shrill  blasts  of  the  whistle  and  a  volley 
from  our  guns  signalized  our  departure.  Never  had  I 
listened  to  a  farewell  salute  that  affected  me  so  sadly, 
showing  the  different  effect  produced  by  the  strangeness 
of  our  surroundings  and  the  peculiarity  of  the  circum- 


'%. 


!  i 


THE    VOYAGE   OF  THE  KITE. 


143 


stances.  As  their  boat  rowed  off  they  gave  three  cheers, 
but  not  with  the  hearty  x\\\<g  that  I  had  heard  from  the 
same  throats  before.  The  signal-bell  in  the  engine-room 
rang  full  speed  ahead,  and  in  a  few  minutes  we  departed 
from  the  most  northern  white  settlement  on  the  globe, 
leaving  our  companions  to  face  their  chosen  duty  in  that 
almost  merciless  Arctic  climate. 

Our  course  south  was  again  by  Murchinson  vSound  and 
between  Herbert  and  Northumberland  Islands.  The  wind, 
which  had  been  increasing,  soon  turned  into  a  gale,  and  by 
noon  a  storm  was  fairly  upon  us.  It  kept  getting  worse, 
and,  anticipating  trouble,  everything  about  the  vessel  was. 
made  snug;  as  the  barometer  continued  to  fall,  we  ran  the 
ship  under  the  lee  of  the  mainland,  hoping  to  escape  some 
of  the  fury  of  the  storm.  In  one  hour  the  wind  had  risen 
to  almost  hurricane  force,  and  the  water  was  lashed  into 
such  foam  and  spray  that  it  was  impossible  to  sec  more 
than  a  couple  of  ship-lengths  ahead,  (^cca.->iunallv, 
through  a  brea*.  in  the  mist,  the  ice-covered  clilfs  of 
Cape  Powlet  could  be  seen,  when  was  to  be  had  a  view 
of  the  wildest  and  most  magnificent  grandeur.  The 
fearful  grinding  and  clashing  of  colliding  bergs,  the 
tumultuous  sea,  lashed  to  its  utmost  fury,  and  the 
screeching  and  roaring  of  the  mighty  wind  combined 
to  produce  an  impression  never  to  be  forgotten. 

Such  experiences,  with  the  strangeness  of  our  sur- 
roundings, so  different  from  those  to  which  we  had  been 
accustomed,  needed  but  little  more  to  convince  us  that 
we  were  on  another  planet.     vSo  terrific  was  the  force  of 

the  gale  that  the  stay-sail  was  blown  from  its  gaskets,  and 
10 


'\l< 


■ifc: 


11 


Ul 


m 


M4 


A'V  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


the  engines,  althonj^h  going-  at  full  speed,  were  not 
always  able  to  keep  the  ship's  head  to  the  wind,  even 
with  the  aid  of  the  most  careful  manoeuvring.  Several 
times  we  were  drixen  toward  the  lee  shore,  which  was 
known  to  be  less  than  a  mile  away.  The  thickness  of 
the  weather  added  much  to  our  anxiety.  Every  few 
minutes  a  gigantic  iceberg  would  loom  like  a  spectre 
through  the  mist,  sometimes  coming  within  a  few  yards 
of  us,  and  making  as  serious  and  horrible  a  situation  as 
can  well  be  imagined.  The  frightful  howling  and 
screaming  of  the  winds  through  these  lonely  fiords 
could  not  be  conceived  by  the  most  vivid  imagination. 
The  deafening  roar  of  crashing  ice  and  colliding  bergs 
added  to  the  experiences  of  this  frightful  day,  and  the 
fragments  and  debris  increased  our  consternation  by 
pounding  against  the  ship's  sides.  The  huge  fragments 
of  ice  became  so  abundant  later  as  to  have  a  very  per- 
ceptible effect  in  subduing  the  force  of  the  waves,  and 
thus  allowed  the  ship  to  ride  more  easily;  but  the  storm 
continued  with  unabated  fury,  the  wind  still  came  with 
hurricane  force,  and  it  was  not  until  evening  that  the 
weather  cleared  sufficiently  for  us  to  see  our  dangerous 
proximity  to  the  rocky  coast  of  Northumberland  Island. 
An  effort  was  now  made  to  get  under  the  lee  of  Cape 
Powlet,  but  although  we  were  able  to  get  quite  near,  the 
force  of  the  wind  would  not  allow  us  to  hold  our  posi- 
tion, and  after  three  hours  of  hard  work  we  were  driven 
out  to  sea. 

The  danger  from  the  ice  was  now  greatly  increased, 
as  the  sea  was  filled  with  the  broken  fragments  of  ice- 


II 


(  i 


THE    VOYAGE  OE  THE  A77E. 


145 


bercrs,   fonniiig  what  the  sailors  know  as  "growlers." 
These  are  large,  water-logged  masses  of  ice,  ground  by 
attrition  with  other  ice  and  bergs  into  a  roughlv  spheri- 
cal form.     They  rise  and  fall  with  the  waves,  often  dis- 
appearing beneath  the  surface,  and  constitute  one  of  the 
most  dangerous  forms  of  ice  found  in  Northern  seas.     As 
they  rise  the  water  rushes  from  their  sides  back  into  the 
sea,  producing  a  roaring  or  growling  sound  which  can 
be  heard  quite  a  distance  off;  hence  the  name  "growler." 
One  rose  directly  in  front  of  the  vessel,  but  fortunately 
struck  the  sliip  slantingly  on  her  bows.      Had  it  risen 
beneath    the   hull,    she   would   almost   inevitably    have 
fou.idered.     At  last,  however,  the  wind  .seemed  to  mod- 
erate, and,  the  barometer  beginning  to  indicate  better 
weather,  we  were  able  to  keep  on  our  course  to  vSaunders 
Island,  wliich  now  became  visible.     On  our  way  toward 
it  we  passed  Fitzgerald's  Rock,  a  bell-shaped  projection 
which  had  attracted  our  attention  on  the  pas.sage  up.     It 
had  been  our  intention  to  stop  on  the  voyage  homeward, 
but  the  sea,  which  was  rolling  high,  and  the  still  heavy 
wind  made  a  landing  impossible.     Indeed,  we  had  little 
desire  to  attempt  it,  for  the  dark  and  cloudy  sky  had  cast 
such  a  gloom  o\'er  everyiliing  as  to  dampen  ab  irdor  for 
new  explorations.     The  next  day  found  us  at  Saunders 
Island,  whither  we  had  come  for  birds  and  with  the  hope 
of  finding    Eskimo    relics.      We    circumnavigated    the 
island,    looking    for   a   safe    landing-place,    which    was 
finally  found;  but  the  wind,  having  again  increased  to 
almost  a  gale,  made  it  impossible  to  get  ashore  in  safety, 
so  the  ship  was  run  under  the  lee  of  the  island,  the  cliffs 


I  ■; 


I  i 


■  II  ' 


«   M    II 


M 

'if 


w 


I 


146 


LV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


of  which  rose  abruptly   from  the  water's  edge  to  the 
height  of  many  hundred  feet. 

Myriads  of  birds  had  their  nests  on  the  face  of  these 
cliffs,  and  a  rifle-bullet  sent  to  these  otherwise  inaccessi- 
ble heights  startled  so  many  birds  as  to  almost  darken 
the  sky  as  they  rose  in  the  air  and  left  their  lofty  homes 
in  flight.  The  sides  of  the  rocks  were  about  two  miles 
long  and  so  covered  with  nests  and  birds  as  to  give  to 
them  a  characteristic  color.  It  was  our  hope  that  on  the 
morrow  an  opportunity  w^ould  be  afforded  us  of  going 
ashore  and  having  a  close  view  of  this  interesting  island, 
the  appearance  of  which  from  the  ship  was  very  pictur- 
esque. On  its  southern  side  a  large  and  beautiful  cas- 
cade was  seen  falling  from  a  dizzy  height  to  the  sea 
below,  and  the  patches  of  green  near  the  falling  waters 
showed  the  beneficent  influence  of  fresh  water  and  sun- 
light. Tlrs  rich  harvest  of  strange  mosses  and  lichens 
waiting  to  be  gathered  made  our  botanist  especially  anx- 
ious to  gjt  ashore.  The  wind  was  blowing  so  hard  that 
Captain  Pike  endeavored  to  make  the  ship  fast  to  an  ice- 
berg which  was  though "^  to  be  firmly  grounded;  but  the 
sailors,  who  had  taken  our  hawser  in  a  small  boat,  had 
hardly  reached  it  when  it  was  found  to  be  moving,  and 
they  were  nearly  crushed  between  the  berg  and  the  vessel. 
It  was  only  by  the  most  strenuous  exertions  that  the 
boat  escaped  and  they  were  saved. 

Anchorage  was  finally  found  in  fifteen  fathoms  of 
water,  but  the  bottom  being  smooth  rock,  the  anchor  did 
not  hold  the  ship  well  against  the  heavy  wind,  and  we 
shifted  our  position  several  times  during  the  night.     An- 


THE    I'OYAGE  OF  THE  KITE. 


147 


other  day  was  passed  lyin<^  to  under  the  lee  of  Saunders 
Island  with  the  wind  still  blowing  a  gale,  and  this  time 
we  changed  our  location  but  little,  as,  with  the  aid  of 
our  anchors  and  the  use  of  steam  during  the  hardest 
l^lows,  we  managed  to  keep  under  the  high  cliffs,  which 
continued  to  afford  some  shelter.  The  squalls,  which 
followed  one  another  in  quick  succession,  were  most  fear- 
ful and  violent,  and  the  few  moments  of  intervening 
calm  seemed  only  given  to  enable  the  gale  to  increase 
its  strength  in  its  efforts  to  overwhelm  us.  The  wind, 
which  had  blown  with  almost  unabated  fury  for  the  last 
four  days,  at  last  began  to  moderate,  and  late  at  night, 
by  steaming  close  under  the  cliffs,  we  were  enabled  to 
approach  near  enough  to  shore  to  enter  comparatively 
smooth  water  and  make  a  landing  in  a  small  boat. 

One  end  of  the  island  was  flat,  and  there  it  was  that 
we  found  some  signs  of  Eskimo  life.  There  were  several 
unoccupied  stone  huts,  a  sledge,  the  framework  of  a 
kajak,  some  old  pieces  of  iron  and  bone  tools,  and  a  few 
other  evidences  of  the  place  having  been  used  recently 
as  a  camp  by  natives.  There  were  also  some  stone  graves 
containing  a  few  scattered  bones,  but  nothing  that  indi- 
cated that  there  had  been  any  recent  burials.  After 
completing  our  investigations  we  returned  to  the  ship 
and  once  more  started  on  our  journey  southward.  The 
next  day,  August  2d,  was  rain}-  and  thick,  much  of  the 
grand  and  lofty  scenery  which  characterized  this  part  of 
the  voyage  being  but  dimly  visible  through  the  fog  and 
mist — a  fact  greatly  regretted  by  all.  Our  run  was  made 
close  to  the  land,  as  the  sea  further  out  was  filled  with 


4   'f 

I! 


A\ 


l\ 


■ii 


III! 


14S 


/N  .lA'CVVC  s/:.is. 


ice.  Several  larcje  j^^lacicrs,  which  had  been  seen  on 
our  northward  journey  only  at  a  distance,  were  now  ob- 
served at  close  range.  Their  immense  extent  readil\' 
explained  the  orij^in  of  the  jj^reat  number  and  size  of  the 
icebert^s  everywhere  visible.  The  famous  Conical  Rock, 
a  curious  basaltic  formation  described  long  ago  by  Cap- 
tain Ross,  was  passed,  and  we  were  soon  under  the  lee 
of  Cape  York,  whose  "crimson  cliffs''  gleamed  in  the 
occasional  bursts  of  sunlight. 

These  crimson  cliffs  did  not  appear  by  any  means  so 
highly  colored  as  we  had  expected  to  .see  them,  but  they 
presented  nevertheless  an  altogether  unique  appearance, 
as  everywhere  else  in  Northern  Greenland  the  rocky 
cliffs,  rising  abruptly  from  the  sea.  exhibit  the  familiar 
stratified  formation  of  sandstone  rock.  Instead,  how- 
ever, of  being  of  the  uniform  dull-brown  color  commonly 
seen  in  this  latitude,  they  were  of  a  tawny  reddish  hue. 
Opinions  differed  as  to  the  cause  of  this  peculiarity. 
Some  of  the  party  believed  that  it  was  due  simply  to  a 
different  colored  sandstone,  but  the  botanist  claimed  that 
it  was  caused  by  the  great  masses  of  an  orange-colored 
lichen  which  grew  ev^erywhere  in  abundance. 

Patches  of  the  red  snow  peculiar  to  the  Arctic  regions 
were  observed  on  the  glaciers  and  in  the  shady  nooks  of 
the  ice,  but  its  color  was  wholly  different  from  that  of 
the  curious  cliffs  mentioned  above.  Later,  we  had  an 
opportunity  of  gathering  and  examining  some  of  this 
red  snow,  which  occurs  in  patches  and  exists  only  on 
the  surface:  an  inch  below,  the  snow  was  as  pure  a  white 
as  that  found  anvwhere.     The  color  was  not  uniform 


•;=(-^^^1 


» 


ruE  \()Y.\(:f.  of  tin-:  Km-:. 


149 


even  on  the  surface,  but  occurred  in  streaks.  On  closer 
examination  it  was  found  to  exist  in  the  little  crystals 
of  snow  which  composed  the  surface,  and  even  in  these 
the  tint  was  not  the  same  throughout,  but  radiated  from 
centres.  When  the  snow  was  melted  it  formed  a  bright- 
red  liquid  about  the  shade  of  claret  punch,  and  on  stand- 
ing the  coloring  matter  gradually  .settled  to  the  bottom 
as  a  deep  red  sediment,  which,  under  the  microscope, 
proved  to  be  composed  of  a  minute-celled  plant,  \\\q.  pro- 
tococats  nivalis.  So  intense  is  its  color  that  even  under 
a  power  of  four  hundred  diameters,  which  causes  a  red 
corpuscle  of  the  blood  to  appear  almost  colorless,  it  was 
still  of  a  brilliant  red  hue. 

Twelve  miles  below  the  cape  several  skin  tents  of 
natives  were  indistinctlv  seen  through  the  foQf.  vSoon 
the  soi.  d  of  "  Ki-mo  "  was  heard  repeatedly,  coming 
from  the  shore.  This  is  the  cry  by  which  the  Eskimos 
greet  the  arrival  of  a  ship,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
natives  were  seen  coming  toward  us  over  the  ice,  some 
on  foot,  and  others  with  sledges  and  dogs.  Their  pe- 
culiar attire  and  various  antics  expressing  delight  pre- 
sented a  most  interesting  spectacle.  The  ship  was 
made  fast  to  the  ice,  which  reached  some  distance 
from  the  shore;  but  even  before  we  had  our  ice-anchors 
firmly  inserted  the  natives  were  climbing  over  the  sides. 
As  soon  as  the  .ship  was  properly  secured  some  of  our 
party,  including  myself,  went  off  on  the  ice.  This, 
although  quite  thick  and  heavy,  was  rough  and  much 
broken  up,  with  seams  of  water  running  in  all  directions. 
While   the  ship   was   approaching  the  shore  the  tents 


hi 


)    !■ 


18'  \ 

%' 

ll, 

w 


K 


r 


:§ 


t.. 


i5'J 


/JV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


whicli  we  had  descried  llirouj^h  the  fo<;  aj^aiii  came  into 
view.  Thcv  were  at  that  time  so  far  off  as  to  be  scarcely 
distiiij^uishable  from   the  many  peculiarly-shaped  rocks 


r 


o 
> 

< 


whicli  constitute  the  mountain-sides  in  the  vicinity  of 
tlie  cape;  it  was  toward  these  tents  that  our  course  was 
directed. 

We  had  scarcely  left  the  vessel  when  some  of  the  na- 


i!i 


THE    rO  ).!(,/■:   OF   THE  KITE. 


^51 


tivcs  on  l)oar(l  noticed  that  we  were  j^oinj;;;  in  the  direc- 
tion of  their  villa<;e,  and  one  of  them  was  soon  over  the 
side  and  hastening  after  ns.  vSeeing  that  he  wished  to 
accompany  ns,  we  stopped  and  awaited  him,  as  it  was 
evident  from  his  manner  that  he  was  nnwilling  for  ns  to 
ventnre  across  alone.  We  were  only  too  glad  to  have 
him  join  ns,  as  travelling  over  the  broken  and  fissured 
ice  was  both  difficult  and  dangerous.  He  proved  to  be  a 
most  merry  little  fellow,  and  with  him  acting  as  guide 
we  were  able  to  progress  more  rapidly  and  with  greater 
safety  than  we  would  have  been  able  to  do  if  left  to  our- 
selves. He  would  run  ahead,  jumping  from  one  cake  of 
ice  to  another  with  the  greatest  ease  and  agility,  stopping 
only  when  one  of  us  would  get  a  fall  or  a  foot  wet  in  the 
water  which  was  lying  here  and  there  in  pools  on  the 
surface  of  the  ice;  then  he  would  evince  his  annise- 
ment  at  our  discomfiture  by  giving  way  to  most  hearty 
laughter.  Clad  as  we  were  in  heavy  overcoats  and 
long  boots,  we  must  indeed  have  presented  an  awkward 
spectacle  in  our  endeavors  to  keep  up  with  our  nimble 
companion;  however,  under  his  guidance  we  soon 
reached   the  s'aore. 

The  native  village  was  found  to  be  situated  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  water's  edge,  up  the  side  of 
the  mountain.  There  was  no  path,  and  we  had  to  climb 
over  and  around  the  large  rocks  and  boulders  with  which 
the  ground  was  everywhere  covered.  This  was  even  a 
more  difficult  and  laborious  undertaking  than  our  passage 
over  the  ice.  The  rocks,  being  wet  from  the  rain  and 
fog  and  covered  with   lichens,  were  very  slippery,  and, 


rii 


^. 


;i 


Jii 


l^ 


152 


AV  .lA'i  /■/(■  s/:.is. 


i 


cncuin1)crc(l  as  wc  were  1)\  heavy  cl()thi!i«j;,  our  projrress 
was  necessarily  slow. 

Arriving;  at  last  at  tlie  villa<;e,  we  found  it  much  more 
extensive  than  the  one  already  seen  farther  north.  It 
consisted  of  about  a  dozen  skin  or  summer  houses  and 
twenty  stone  huts,  used  only  in  winter.  The  villaj^e 
was  situated  on  very  rou^h  jj^round,  the  tents  beinji^ 
erected  wherever  sjjace  enou<;h  for  them  could  be  found 
between  the  boulders.  They  were  rather  close  to<^ether, 
but  the  stone  huts,  on  the  contrary,  beinjjj  built  wher- 
ever a  favorable  spot  could  be  found,  were  more  scattered, 
most  of  them  beinjj^  near  to  the  sea. 

The  place  was  practically  deserted,  the  inhabitants 
havinji^  <i^one  olT  to  our  .ship.  A  few  women,  children,  and 
doLjs  were  all  that  greeted  our  arrival;  they  .seemed 
greatly  astonished  at  such  an  unexpected  visit,  and  were 
evidentlv  .somewhat  alarmed.  The  vounger  children 
showed  their  fear  by  crying  and  clinging  closely  to 
their  mothers.  A  few  presents  of  needles  soon  assured 
the  women  of  our  friendliness,  and  at  once  caused  peace 
to  reign.  On  looking  around  dirt  and  refuse  were,  as 
usual,  found  to  be  everywhere  present.  The  bones  and 
parth-consumed  carca.sses  of  walru.ses,  narwhals,  and 
.seals  were  scattered  indiscriminately  about.  The  water 
from  the  melting  snow  of  the  mountains  trickled  through 
the  villag'^  and  with  the  little  snow  between  the  rocks 
and  the  omnipresent  filth  made  the  walking  disagreeable 
enough. 

We  separated,  and  wandered  through  the  place  look- 
ing into  tents  and  seeing  what  we  could.     Peeping  into^ 


THE    WiY.li.li  OF   Tin-:   hi  IE. 


^h}> 


one  of  them,  I  saw  a  woman  dili^^eiith  emi)lo\e(l  in  cnt- 
tiiii;  and  sewin<;  skins.      Strewn  all    loont  the  interior 


i  ■'  TTTTIi 
KSKIMl)    lloNK    MKIili:,    TWO- I  II I KDS    Al  11  AI.   M/.E. 

were  fnrs  and  sewinj;  imi)lements,  so  it  appeared  evident 
that  I  had  fonnd  a  tailor.  AU]iouo;h  the  elothinj^  of  all 
of  MS  needed  repairs  and  considerable  patchin.u;-,  I  es- 
pecially was  snflerin<;  for  a  new  pair  of  trousers.  Here 
ai)peared  to  be  a  chance  not  to  be  lost,  so  ne,i;otiations 
were  at  once  opened  with  the  lady  for  their  manufacture 
by  presenting  her  with  a  knife.  It  was  not  without  con- 
siderable difficulty  that  I  succeeded  in  conveying  to  her 
an  approximate  idea  of  the  style  of  article  desired,  as  I 
wished  them  to  reach  to  the  feet  instead  of  only  just  below 
the  knee,  as  was  "a  la  mode"  at  Cape  York.  That 
much  was  at  last  accomplished,  but  the  addition  of 
pockets  being  beyond  her  powders  of  comprehension,  I 
was  compelled  to  forego  those  luxuries. 

The  question  of  style  having  been  decided,  she  pro- 
ceeded to  take  my  measure.  This  was  done  in  a  rather 
novel  manner.  Having  selected  a  .seal-skin  of  sufficient 
length  and  width  from  a  pile  in  one  corner  of  the  tent, 
it  was  wrapped  around  the  limb,  the  fur  side  being 
placed  inward;  the  surplus  material  was  then  bent  over 
with  the  fingers  and  the  skin  removed.  The  crease  so 
formed  served  as  a  guide  for  the  next  procedure,  which 
consisted  in  biting  along  the  line  with  the  teeth  so  as  to 
cause  the  fold  to  lie  flat.     This  being  accomplished,  it 


1  • 


\ 


■f 


T  < 


1; 

1   1 

■      1      :      :, 

I* 


154 


AV  .lA'C'/VC  S7C.IS'. 


was  ajjaiii  applic'd  [o  ilic  liinband  a  l\\v  slight  allcralioiis 


mar 


ked 


Willi   an   ac 


Idil 


lonal    l)itc   iKTc  and 


tl 


lerc. 


Tl 


u- 


slia])u  liavin^-hce-n  outlined,  the  s^-in  was  a^ain  uinoxed, 
and  the  lines  thus  marked  bein;;-  followed  with  a  nidely- 
ihade  knife,  the  cnttin.L;  of  the  trousers  was  comjileled. 

With  the  ol)ject  of  fieilitatim,^  tlie  wcM'k,  I  ofTen  d  her 
the  use  of  a  pair  of  seissors  whieh  I  had  l)ron,L,dit  with  me 
from  the  ship,  hut,  beiu'^  entirely  unfamiliar  with  th'.'ir 
use,  she  preferred  her  own  knife,  and,  seeing;'  I  v.  as  oid\- 
delaxini^  operations,  I  \-entured  to  make  no  morv.  sn_q;<j^es- 
tions.      DesiriuL"    to    hasten    their    manufaeture,    I    uax'e 


hei    a    few     additional     needles,    but     soon     found 


that 


Eskimo  charaetei"  resend)led  in  some  respeels  thai   exist- 
iu''  in  UKM'e  temperate  /.ones,  and  that  it  was  uo\.  alwaws 


;()()(!    p(;lie\'    to    pa\'    in   adx'anee. 


lnste;id   of   workim 


f.isier,  m\'  tailor  la^i^.i^ed  still   more;   indeed,  so  little  |)r 


(K 


ress  was  niade,  and  so  exideut  was  it  that  she  was 
ouh'  endeavoring  to  extort  additional  pa\-  from  ni-.',  that, 
a]>preciatin!L;  m\-  mistake,  and  despairiui^'  of  ,L,^cttin<j;'  m\- 
mueh-needed  arliele  of  rlotliiu,^  com|.kled,  I  decided  on 
takiu!:;  them  awa\'  as  they  were. 

Just  at  this  moment  I  was  (lisco\x're(;  b\'  some  of  my 
companions  from  the  A'//<\  and,  as  lhe\-  \\\vv  about  rc- 
iurnin_t,f  to  the  ship,  I  j^ol  re;'.d\-  to  accompanx  them. 
Takinj.;;  the  unfinished  trousers  awa\'  from  the  woman, 
'.  du)  parted  with  them  reluctanth-,  we  started  off.  We 
liad  not  s^one  far  when  we  saw  that  she  was  following;- us, 
a])pearinir  to  regret  her  unseeml\'  behavior  and  wishinji; 
to  mal  ■  amends.  The  ship  was  soon  reached,  and,  find- 
ing: the  decks  full  of  nati\-es,  I  at  once  contracted   with 


■n 


iii 


hXh 


& 


ff 


THE    VOYAGE  OF  THE  KITE. 


0/ 


some  to  have  the  work  completed  on  board.  Several 
women  began  on  them,  and  as  soon  as  my  back  was 
turned  my  original  tailor  joined  the  group.  By  the 
laughter  which  soon  arose  I  was  convinced  that  they  ap- 
preciated the  true  state  of  affairs  and  were  amused  at  her 
discomfiture.  The  trousers  were  soon  finished,  and  I 
wore  them  until  our  return  south  necessitated  a  chan^-e 
to  more  civilized  attire. 

As  many  as  fifty  Eskimos  had  come  to  visit  us,  some 
on  foot,  and  others  with  dogs  and  sledges.  They  brought 
along  many  articles  to  trade;  indeed,  they  seemed  to 
have  with  them  almost  everything  they  possessed,  even 
to  the  toys  of  their  children. 

Our  visitors  were  of  all  ages,  sizes,  and  conditions, 
including  the  babies,  who  gazed  on  the  strange  sights 
with  wonder  and  interest.  Some  of  them  were  not  over 
a  month  or  two  old,  being  carried  on  their  mothers' 
backs.  Their  cute  little  faces  and  bright  black  eyes 
peering  out  from  their  odd  resting-place  made  quite  an 
interesting  picture.  Many  of  the  smaller  children  were 
observed  munching  away  v/ith  great  avidity  on  raw 
birds  which  had  been  given  to  them  by  the  sailors,  and 
exhibiting  as  much  pleasure  as  the  civilized  child 
would  experience  in  eating  cakes  and  candy.  After 
consuming  the  bird  they  invariably  rubbed  the  fatty 
skin  over  their  faces;  this  they  are  taught  to  do  at  an 
early  age,  as  the  coating  of  grease  so  applied  serves  to 
render  the  exposed  skin  less  sensitive  and  protects  it 
from  the  extreme  cold  of  winter.  Some  of  them  pre- 
sented,  indeed,  a  most  ludicrous  appearance  owing  to 


;ji; 


'r- 


111 


'■t 


■I . 

I 

'A"  ■; 

m 


IK 


158 


AV  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


the  feathers  which  remained  on  the  face  after  the  com- 
pletion of  this  procednre. 

The  adnlt  portion  of  our  visitors  wandered  about  the 
ship  at  their  pleasure,  looking  into  every  nook  and 
corner  and  exhibiting  the  utmost  curiosity.  They  were 
so  good-natured,  harmless,  and  childlike  in  their  man- 
ner that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  show  them  whatever  we 
could.  Thev  were  much  delighted  in  looking  at  them- 
.selves  in  a  mirror,  and  a  pair  of  blue-glass  spectacles 
loaned  to  one  of  them  were  not  returned  until  they  had 
been  passed  from  hand  to  hand  and  each  had  had  a  look 
through  them. 


;i 


'    '   I 


uj 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Arctic  Clothinc,.— A  vSijcdcimud!:.— Ax  Ixdicnant  Kski.mo 
I,.\nv.— TiiK  Nativk   Dogs. — Sledcw-s. 

THERE  beino;  siicli  a  laro;e  number  of  natives  on  the 
ship,  an  excellent  opportunity  was  afforded  us  of 
obscrvino;  the  peculiar  character  of  their  clothing  and 
learning  how  they  protected  themselves  from  the  rigors 
of  their  climate.  The  mode  of  dress  in  both  sexes  was 
much  alike,  and  consisted  of  a  jacket,  trousers,  and  boots. 
These  were  made  eitlier  of  the  skin  of  the  bear,  seal,  do"-, 
or  reindeer,  and  often  a  combination  of  all.  Seal  is  the 
most  frequently  used,  the  others  being  less  common. 
The  jacket  covers  the  bod\-  from  the  waist  up,  and  ter- 
minates in  a  hood  which  covers  the  head,  but  leaves  a  part 
of  the  face  exposed.  This  jacket  is  made  in  the  form  of 
a  single  piece,  and  is  put  on  by  being  brought  down  over 
the  head;  no  buttons  or  other  fastenings  are  used  except 
when  mittens  are  worn,  which  are  tied  around  at  the 
wrists.  The  hood  fits  closely  to  the  side  of  the  face,  only 
leaving  the  latter  exposed  from  the  forehead  to  the  chin. 
The  trousers  reach  from  the  waist  to  the  calf  of  the 
leg,  and  have  two  openings  a  few  inches  long  in  the 
sides,  which  are  closed  by  means  of  a  cord.  The  boots 
are  always  made  double,  the  inner  part  being  the  skin 
of  some  long-haired  animal,  such  as  the  bear  or  dog, 
with  the  fur  turned  inward,  and  the  outer  ot  seal-skin 


il 


169 


I  1  'li 


u 


si 


i6o 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


with  the  hair  removed.  They  are  drawn  up  over  the 
lower  end  of  the  trousers  and  bound  firmly  about  the 
calf  of  the  leg  with  leather  thongs,  thus  making  the 
costume  water-tight  up  to  the  waist.  Underneath  this 
outer  suit  there  was  worn,  by  some,  an  nnder-jacket, 
likewise  extending  to  the  waist,  but  without  the  hood. 
This  was  made  of  bird-skins  sewn  together,  and  worn 
with  the  feathers  next  to  the  ^kin.  The  jacket  and 
trousers  just  about  met  at  the  waist;  indeed,  so  slightly 
protected  was  this  part  of  the  body  that  in  bending  over 
the  bare  skin  was  frequently  exposed. 

The  hands  are  protected  by  mittens  made  of  dog-skin. 
These  are  not  very  long,  but  sufficiently  so  to  go  up  un- 
der the  end  of  the  sleeves  of  the  jacket,  the  point  of 
meeting  being  made  more  secure  by  binding  with  a  strip 
of  skin. 

The  only  difference  in  the  costumes  of  the  women  and 
men  was  in  the  jacket.  In  the  former  the  hood  was  made 
somewhat  higher  in  order  to  acconnnodate  their  hair,  and 
a  few  possessed,  in  addition,  a  pouch  on  the  back  in  which 
the  infants  were  placed  and  so  carried  around.  Some  of 
these  pouches  had  an  opening  cut  in  them,  so  that  the 
child  could  rest  in  contact  with  the  bare  skin  of  its 
mother,  and  in  that  way  obtain  additional  warmth.  The 
child,  usually  naked,  is  placed  in  the  pouch  and  packed 
around  with  fur  and  feathers.  When  the  mother  desires 
to  take  the  baby  out,  she  stoops  forward,  bends  her  head 
well  down,  and  gives  her  body  a  shake.  This  starts  the 
infant  from  the  pouch,  and  the  mother,  raising  her  hands 
over  her  shoulder,  draws  it  forth. 


THE    VOYACE  or   I  HE  KITE. 


i6r 


The  jacket  and  hood,  being  made  in  a  single  piece, 
are  so  rigid  and  fit  so  tightly  that  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  turn  the  head  without  moving  the  body.  When  it  is 
desired  to  look  in  any  particular  direction,  they  turn 
around  with  a  stiff,  awkward  movement  until  the  object 
is  brought  within  view.  The  fur  clothing,  being  made 
of  skins  that  are  rather  hard  when  cured  and  not  per- 
fectly pliable,  prevents  their  moving  with  that  freedom 
which  is  possible  with  other  people.  This  gives  to  their 
movements  a  stiff  and  automatic  character,  which  at  first 
sight  appears  cjnite  droll,  and  strongly  reminds  one  of 
the  actions  of  the  puppets  seen  at  shows  given  for  the 
amusement  of  children.  The  small  size  of  the  Eskimo 
as  compared  to  the  average  European  also  adds  to  the 
effect  and  tends  to  en- 
hance the  resemblance. 

The  natives  were  con- 
tinually going  backward 
and  forward  from  the  ves- 
sel to  the  shore,  bringing 
things  for  trade.  It  was 
during  one  of  these  trips 
that  I  was  enabled  to  en- 
joy the  novelty  and  pleas- 
ure of  a  sledge-ride,  Eski- 
mo fashion.  For  a  few 
trinkets   a  native  placed 

himself,  his  sledge,  and  his  dogs  at  my  disposal.  I  had 
hardly  seated  myself  on  the  furs  with  which  the  sledge 
was  covered,   and  indicated    that  I   was  ready   to  start, 


r.sKiMo  ii'i\. 


!« 


Rff 


I  1 


162 


/.v  .iRcr/c  s/c.is. 


M 


when  the  Eskimo's  wife,  who  had  been  left  on  tlie 
ship,  came  ont  on  the  ice  after  ns.  She  showed  at  once 
her  displeasnre  at  onr  breach  of  etiqnctte  in  desertinj^ 
her,  and  evidently  wished  to  »o  alon^.  The  Eskimo  de- 
mnrred,  and  seemed  anxions  to  know  what  my  wishes 
were  in  the  matter.  Noticing  the  woman's  determina- 
tion, and  not  wishing  to  lose  my  ride  (besides  being 
the  canse  of  domestic  difficnlty),  I  gallantly  intimated 
by  signs  my  consent  and  even  pleasnre  at  the  lady's  com- 
pany. In  the  mean  time,  while  they  were  wrangling 
with  each  other,  the  dogs  had  taken  advantage  of  the 
delav  thns  cansed,  and  started  a  fight  amongst  themselves, 
getting  their  harness  so  tangled  np  that  it  reqnired  some 
time  to  pnt  the  team  in  rnnning  order  again.  Finally, 
Mrs.  Eskimo  and  myself  got  properly  seated  on  the 
sledge,  and  the  dogs  were  started  off  at  a  lively  trot,  the 
driver  rnnning  alongside.  He  controlled  and  gnided  the 
dogs  with  snch  skill  as  to  keep  a  nniform  tension  on  the 
traces,  and  occasionally,  as  the  team  increased  its  speed, 
would  jump  on  the  back  jDart  of  the  sledge  and  ride  until 
some  rough  ice  or  a  strip  of  water  interfered  with  our 
progress. 

Not  infrequently  the  dogs  would  jump  over  a  crack  in 
the  ice,  and  before  the  sledge  could  be  stopped  it  would 
bring  up  against  the  opposite  side  with  such  a  sudden 
jar  as  to  throw  one  from  the  seat.  On  such  occasions 
the  driver  would  lift  the  front  of  the  sledge, 'and,  with  a 
few  cracks  of  the  whip,  again  proceed  onward.  When  a 
fissure  was  too  large  to  be  crossed  in  this  manner,  he 
would  follow  along  its  side  until  a  narrower  place  was 


THE  \  or. ICE  or  the  kite. 


163 


foniul,  over  which  tlie  slcd^c  was  pushed,  one  end  beins^ 
allowed  to  rest  on  the  ice  on  each  side.  By  this  means  a 
bridge  was  formed  over  which  both  ourselves  and  dogs 
crossed  in  safety.  The  Eskimo  dogs  appear  to  have  a 
great  disiike  for  water,  and  would  not  attempt  the  cross- 
ing of  an}-  cracks  so  wide  as  to  expose  them  to  the  risk  of 
falling  in. 

As  we  began  to  encounter  much  loose  and  broken  ice, 
and  the  travelling  was  very  rough,  I  requested  my  guide 
to  return  to  the  ship.  We  were  soon  speeding  along 
over  a  more  regular  surface,  the  .smooth  gliding  homeward 
in  the  cold,  bracing  air  being  most  exhilarating.  By 
this  time  Madam  Eskimo  had  quite  regained  her  temper, 
and  assisted  her  husband  by  yelling  their  peculiar  cry, 
"  Ka!  ka! "  at  the  dogs,  which  .seemed  to  incite  them  on 
and  kept  them  moving  at  a  lively  pace.  Upon  our 
arrival  at  the  vessel  the  driver  at  once  proceeded  to  cut  a 
couple  of  holes  in  the  ice,  close  together  and  meeting  at 
the  bottom;  the  traces  were  then  passed  through  from 
one  to  the  other  and  tied  on  top.  The  team  having  been 
safely  secured  in  this  manner,  we  went  on  board;  the 
dogs  howded  dismally  at  being  .so  unceremoniously  de- 
serted, but  the  unheeding  driver  and  his  spouse  were  soon 
on  deck  mingling  with  the  others. 

The  Eskimo  dogs  are  about  two  feet  in  height,  and 
resemble  more  the  wolf  than  the  domestic  dog  of  our 
country.  Their  hair  is  long,  coarse,  and  oily,  and  the 
head  resembles  that  of  the  Pomeranian  or  spitz  dog,  the 
snout  being  pointed  and  the  ears  erect.  Their  legs  are 
quite  sturdy  and  thick,  the  body  compact  and  strong,  and 


H 


\  I 


■!     f 


i 


rrr 


m 

hi 


n 


J  •'' 


i 


164 


nv  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


the  bushy  tail  is  carried  curled  over  the  back.  In  color 
they  are  principally  reddish  or  yellowish  brown;  black 
was  exceptional,  while  white  was  more  common,  but 
not  so  generally  met  with  as  the  color  first  mentioned. 

There  seemed  to  be  a  difference  in  type  between  the 
dogs  used  in  the  south  of  Greenland  and  those  found  with 
the  wild  natives  of  the  North,  these  latter  being  smaller 
and  more  wolfish  looking,  although  possessing  the  same 
general  characteristics.  The  Eskimo  dogs  are  wild-look- 
ing animals,  and  have  a  cowardly,  sneaking  expression, 
which  is  no  doubt  largely  due  to  their  half-starved  condi- 
tion and  the  indifference  and  harshness  of  their  masters. 
It  is  only  when  employed  in  drawing  the  sledges  that 
they  are  given  food  in  any  quantity,  and  the  hungry  crea- 
tures about  the  native  camps  are  continually  howling  and 
fighting  among  themselves.  They  subsist  on  the  blubber, 
meat,  and  animal  refuse  given  to  them  by  the  natives, 
and  at  no  time  would  they  touch  the  salt  meat,  bread,  or 
biscuit  thrown  them  from  the  ship.  Their  fur  is  much 
used  by  the  natives  for  clothing.  They  are  harnessed  to 
the  sledges  by  means  of  a  leather  collar  to  which  is 
attached  a  line,  generally  of  walrus-hide,  about  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  in  length.  These  lines,  one  from  each  dog, 
are  fastened  to  a  heavy  thong  of  skin  between  the  run- 
ners of  the  sledge.  Five  to  eight  dogs  usually  constitute 
a  team.  They  travel  side  by  side,  being  guided  only  by 
the  voice  of  the  driver  and  the  occasional  lashings  of  a 
whip  which  is  so  long  and  wielded  with  such  dexterity 
as  to  make  them  pursue  any  desired  course. 

The  sledges  are  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  length  and 


THE  ro):  !(,/■:  of  the  rite. 


1 6; 


about  two  in  width,  tla-  runners  being  eiglit  inches  higli 
and  made  up  of  fragments  of  wood  and  bone  tighliv 
bound  together  with  strips  )f  skin.  Wood  is  so  scarce 
that  even  thesmalK  A  pieces  obtainable  are  utilized,  thus 
causing  the  sledges  to  look  like  mere  patchwork.  The 
runners  are  shod  with  pieces  of  walrus-tusks  about  a  foot 
long,  which  are  bound  to  each  other  and  to  the  runner 
with  thongs  of  hide.  These  thongs  are  passed  throu^li 
holes  in  the  ivory  and  countersunk  to  avoid  being  worn 
out  in  passing  through  the  snow. 

The  top  of  the  sledge  is  composed  of  pieces  of  wood, 
and  occasionally  of  bone,  passing  across  from  one  runner 
to  the  other,  tightly  bound  together.  These  pieces  are 
not  placed  close  to  one  anotlicr,  but  at  intervals  of  six  or 
eight  inches.  At  the  rear  end  of  the  sledge  are  two 
uprights,  about  two  and  one-half  feet  high,  connected  by 


! 


ill 


'111 

nl 


SLEDGE. 


a  cross-piece,  the  whole  forming  a  handle  which  is  used 
to  guide  the  sledge  at  times,  and  also  to  lift  it  over  ob- 
structions. Coming  from  beneath  its  front,  and  fastened 
to  the  inner  sides  of  the  runners,  about  a  foot  from  their 


■  '.  I 


'J 


166 


/X  .lh'C77C  S/C.IS. 


ends,  is  a  piece  of  thick  stroiijr  skin.     It  is  to  this  that 
the  harness  of  the  (lo<.;s  is  attached  wlicn  travel! in<j^. 

The  whole  of  the  siedj^a-  is  apt  to  be  so  covered  with 
dirt  and  <![rease  as  to  alint)st  conceal  its  method  of  con- 
struction. Those  which  we  saw  all  appeared  to  be  very 
old,  and  had  evidently  descended  from  pre\ions  p^enera- 
tions.  Here  and  there,  in  some  of  them,  were  noticed 
pieces  which  had  been  inserted  recently.  When  a  sledj^e 
be<;ins  to  show  the  effects  of  the  hard  nsa^e  to  which  it 
has  been  subjected,  it  does  not  break  up  all  at  once,  but 
rather  ^ives  out  in  some  particular  place.     This  spot  is 

then  mended,  either  by  a 
new  piece  beiuf';'  inserted 
or  by  being  rebound  with 
tlion<^s,  and  Mie  sledjj^e  thus 
enters  on  a  ne/,'  lease  of 
life.  The  ease  with  which 
repairs  can  be  made  obvi- 
ates the  necessity  of  bnild- 
injT  new  sledi^es,  and,  conseqnenth',  after  one  has  been  con- 
structed, it  lasts  almost  for  ever.  Notwithstanding  their 
clumsy  and  ungainly  appearance,  they  glide  over  the  ice 
quite  readily,  the  ivory  runners  offering  but  little  resist- 
ance. While  solidly  constructed,  they  nevertheless  pos- 
sess sufficient  give  and  elasticity  to  yield  to  the  jolting 
experienced  in  travelling  over  rough  and  uneven  ice, 
thus  making  riding  in  them  comfortable. 


NATIVE    DKII.I.. 


■'W 


if 


I        * 


CHAPTKR    XII. 

Bows    AND   Ar{IU)"«.--SlM:.\KS   and    HaI<1'()()NS.— IlrNTINC,  Tin; 

Skal    and    \V  Ai.Rrs.— vSc  AHcrrv    oi"    Wood.— Ciiii.dk  ins 
Toys.— Mickey  and  his  Doincs. 

UXTIL  our  visit  to  these  most  northern  Ivskitnos  no 
one  had  ever  observed  them  to  possess  either  boats 
of  any  description  or  bows  and  arrows;  but  i'lnoiiL;  the 
natives  of  Whale  Sonnd  we  fonnd  a  conple  of  kajaks,  and 
also  a  few  bows  and  arrows. 

They  were  similar  in  form  and  constrnction  to  some 
which  we  afterward  saw  lower  down,  at  Cape  York. 
The  kajaks  were  of  abont  the  same  size  as  those  of  the 


KAJAK    AND    PADDI.K,    WHAl.K   S(HM).  , 

Eskimos  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Danish  settlements, 
bnt  were  neither  so  neatly  nor  so  well  made,  being  both 
more  clnmsy  and  heavier.  The  skins  of  which  they 
were  bnilt  did  not  appear  to  have  been  so  carefully  pre- 
pared as  those  used  by  the  more  southern  natives,  the 
hair  often  being  allowed  to  remain  on  them  in  places. 
The  seams  also  were  neither  so  regular  nor  so  nicely 
sewn,    this  be'ng  probably  due  to  the   fact  that  bone 

1«7 


II' 

I' 


!'!': 


t ' 


ir.s 


IN  ARCriC  SF.AS. 


needles  were  used,  instead  of  steel  ones.  These  latter 
nnist  liave  been  (jnite  rare  anionj^^  them,  if,  indeed,  they 
possessed  any  at  all,  although  even  the  natives  of  Whale 
vSound,  when  Vvc  gave  them  some,  appeared  to  recognize 
and  understand  their  use. 

The  bows  which  were  obtained  frdu  the  natives  are 
(liiite  peculiar  both  as  regards  the  materials  of  which 
they  are  made  and  their  m  jthod  of  construction.  They 
are  composed,  usually,  of  three  large  and  four  small 
pieces  of  bone,  bound  firmly  together  with  an  animal 
material  resembling  catgut.  The  large  bones  are  the 
ribs  of  the  reindeer,  three  being  used  in  order  to  make 
a  bow  of  sufficient  lengch.  These  are  placed  end  to 
cud,  the  adjoining  surfaces  being  cut  off  square,  and  not 
overlapping.  The  two  extremities  of  the  middle  piece 
thus  simply  rest  against  the  inner  ends  of  the  other  two 
bones,  the  ])oint  of  junction  being  strengthened  l)y  means 
o'.  a  thick  piece  of  bone,  about  two  inches  long,  below, 
and  a  thin  strip,  about  four  inches  long,  above.  The 
whole  joint  is  then  tightly  wrapped  with  thongs.     Run- 


lii  )\VS. 


»Uj6 


ning  from  one  end  of  the  bow  to  the  other,  and  stretched 
tightly  over  the  back,  are  a  nund)er  of  thongs,  which  in 
the  finer  bows  are  made  of  plaited  strands;  one  of  them 


THE    lOYAC.E  or  THE   Kl IE. 


169 


had  fifteen  of  these  bound  to  tlic  hone  with  the  same 
material  at  intervals  of  three  or  four  inches.  In  the 
commoner  bows  the  material  used  for  bindino-  and 
strenj^thcning  them  is  much  coarser,  and  e\identlv  con- 
sists of  strips  of  some  kind  of  skin  ;  one  of  the  number 
had  only  three  such  cords,  and  even  those  were  thick, 
and  not  plaited.  Another  one  possessed.  ]>esides  the 
usual  number  of  pieces,  three  additicjual  ones.  One  was 
a  long,  thin  piece  of  bone,  and  t'ne  others  two  thin  strips 
of  a  soft  wood  resembling  pine.  This  shows  the  igno- 
rance of  the  people  concerning  the  properties  of  various 
kinds  of  wood,  because  the  use  of  so  soft  a  wood  for  the 
purpose  of  strengthening  the  bow  could  have  been  ul'  no 
service  whatever.  These  bows  are  about  two  feet  and  a 
half  long,  quite  elastic,  and  serve  their  purpose  fairly 
well. 

The  arrows  are  between  a  foot  and  a  half  and  two 
feet  in  length,  and  composed  of  a  shaft  of  white  pine 
wood  with  a  point  of  iron.     The  shaft  was  rather  thick 


t 


(r 


lioW-i  ASK    AM>    (il'lVIR. 


and  clumsy,  and  not  infre([uently,  on  account  of  the 
scarcity  of  wood  of  all  kinds,  made  of  two  or  three  sepa- 
rate pieces  of  wood  or  bone,  joined  together  by  being 


p.. 


170 


/JV  ARC'IIC  sr.AS. 


l)c\c'lle(l,  overlapped,  and  wound  with  a  fine  animal  fibre. 
The  part  of  the  shaft  that  reeeixed  the  l)ow-.strin<j^  was 
flattened,  and  a<^^'lin.st  the  side  of  one  of  the  arrows  was 
bomid   a  sinj^le  small    feather,    which,    however,    could 


AKKOWS    Willi     HdNK    SlIAI'IS. 

liave  been  of  little  or  no  service  in  o-uidin<j  its  flif^ht. 
The  presence  of  this  feather  was  the  only  indication  of 
the  natives  having;  any  knowled<>;e  of  their  use  in  steady- 
in,i;  an  arrow  on  its  course,  and  is  stron^-ly  su5^<^estive 
of  the  bow  and  arrow  beini;-  employed  only  at  short 
ran<;e.      The   i)oints   were   nuide   of  iron   or   ivory   from 


SEESSEZ 


IH2 


raoiiB 


3m 


^^^;'^^^-yy/W!^yyjiiv^t -.' 


ARRnWS    SlloWlNi;    Till     Sl'l.UINi;    OI'     \\\V.    SHAFT    AND    A    SIN(a.i:    SMAI.I. 

I-T  AIIIKK. 


three  to  five  inches  lonji^  and  shaped  like  a  spear-head. 
How,  in  the  absence  of  any  suitable  means  of  heatiu<^- 
the  iron,  these  arrow-heads  were  fasliioned  was  a  mys- 
tery to  us. 

On  examininjj^  the  binidle  of  arrows  which  were  ob- 
tained troni  the  natives  at  Cape  York,  my  attention  was 
attracted  bv  one  which  appeared  to  have  some  letters  upon 


'/•///•;  ]■())-, i(,/-:  OF  ■////■:  ki ri-: 


171 


it.  On  scrapinj^  a\va\  tlie  nist  and  dirt  I  was  astonished 
to  see  tlic"  words  "Dr.  Hayes,  ICx.  1860,"  plainly  stamped 
in   the   iron.     Owing  to  onr   inability  to  nnderstand  or 


ARKdW-llKAl)  I  kilM     1111;    llAVi.>    K.\  11  1  ill  U)N   dl'    lS6o,  i  i.NK-H  il  Kill     A(  i  I  AL 

sizi;. 

conunniiicate  with  the  natives,  we  coidd  not  obtain  any 
history  of  this  niust  interestin<^  relie,  nor  an\'  informa- 
tion as  to  how  it  came  into  their  ])ossession.  The  care 
with  which  the\-  treasnre  iron  can  be  appreciated  when 
w  r  :,!'jmber  that  they  must  have  had  this  piece  for  over 
thirt\-  )ears.  It  had  probably  been  made,  ori<^lnally, 
from  an  old  knife  or  other  ship's  article  which  had  been 
marked  with  the  explorer's  name. 

Their  most  nsehil  hnntinj^-  implcnieats  are  spears  or 
lances  and  harpoons.     The  former,  as  comjiared  to  the 


Point. 
Sl'KAK    'iR    I  ANCK 


SlKlfl. 


latter,  are  simple  in  construction,  cnnsistinj^-  of  a  wooden 
shaft  with  an  ivory  point  ti]i])C(l  with  iron.  The  shaft, 
on  account  of  the  scarcit)-  of  wood,  is  sometimes  nia(ie 
np  of  several  short  ])ieces  sjdiced  toj^ether  with  the  skill 
for  which  the  Eskimos  are  noted.  It  is  shod  at  it.'  ex- 
tremitv  with  a  little  cap  or  block  of  ivory  stron<.,dy  secured 


ir 


lil  : 


172 


/N    ARCTIC  SEAS. 


by  tlion<i^s  of  walrus-skiii.  This  cap  lias  011  its  iipj)cr 
surface  an  oval-sliaped  hollow  or  depression  in  wliich  the 
base  of  the  ivory  point  rests.  The  ivory  point  is  Ironi 
six  to  eij^hteen  inches  in  lenij^th;  at  its  base  it  is  al)out 
three-quarters  of  an  inch  by  an  inch  and  a  half  in  size, 
and  tapers  slijj^htly  to  the  point,  which  is  usually  pro- 
vided with  a  leaf-shaped  (not  barbed)  piece  of  iron. 
The  base  is  rounded  in  an  oval  manner  with  a  flat  ed^^e, 
and  fits  int(j  the  depression  or  socket  in  the  ivory  cap. 


^iB.-r'>- 


sri-,.\K-riuM,  Aimur  (ink-m.mh  m  iual  si/.k. 

The  Disko  spears,  on  the  contrary,  have  the  socket  in 
the  base  of  the  ivor\-  j^oint.  Two  stron<i^  thont^s  of  wal- 
rus-hide pass  from  the  ])oint  to  the  cap,  binding;  them 
lirnd\-  tot;ether.  When  the  spear  is  thrust  into  an  ani- 
nud,  the  point  sli])s  off  the  siiaft,  but  still  remains  con- 
nected with  it  by  the  two  thonj^s  of  skin.  In  this  way 
the  wooden  handle  is  prevented  from  beiufj^  broken  by 
any  sudden  movement  the  animal  may  make. 


.SIMAR    liiK    >MAI,1.    ANIMALS,    ONK-IIAI.I'    ACl  UAf,  .SI/.K. 

The  harjioon  is  a  much  more  intricate  weapon.  It  is, 
indeed,  remarkable  how  a  race  so  low  in  the  scale  of 
devclo])ment  as  the  Eskimos  could  liave  devised  such  an 
ingenious  implement.      In  nuuiy  respects  it  is  unicjue, 


r^  *; 


7//A"  ro }.!(,/■:  ()/■■  '////-;  Kni:. 


^n 


and  sni)nsscs  in  efficiency  even  the  sword- fisher's  iron, 
whicli  it  .-greatly  resembles.  In  in.i^aMniity  and  adapta- 
bility for  the  pnrposes  to  wliich  it  is  put  il  is,  perhaps, 
the  Ijest  that  any  savage  or  even  semi-civilized  race  has 
prodnccd.  It  has  evidently  been  evolved  from  the  s])ear 
jnst  described,  bnt  is  desi.<;ned  for  thro\vin,t,r,  and  not  for 
spearing-.  The  whole  apparatns  consists  of  several  dis- 
tinct parts,  which  may  be  described  separatelv.  They 
are  the  harpoon  itself,  the  harpoon-line,  and  the  float- 


H 


HARI'()()N   OK   TIIK    MOST    NORIHKIIN    ISKIMOS. 

bag,  corresponding   to  the   wooden   cask  of  the  sword- 
fisher. 

The  iiarpoon  is  made  np  of  a  shaft  and  point  differing 
in  no  material  respect  from  the  spear  already  described. 
The  point  is  somewhat  rounder  and  attached  to  the 
shaft  by  the  means  already  detailed,  but  is  l)lunt  at  its 
extremity.  To  it  is  added  an  exti.i  detachable  ti]), 
almost  invariably  shod  with  iron.  The  iron  is  usually. 
a  piece  of  knife-blade,  an  old  lioo]),  or  (>th"r  fragment 
which  has  by  chance  fiHen   into   the   possess'on  of  tl 


le 


Kski 


uno.      This  is  ground  witl;   infinite  labor  to  a  point 


and  firmlv  riveted  in  a  slit  in  th 


e  ivor\.     Tlie  point  of  the 


harpoon  fits  into  a  hole  in  the  l)ack  of  the  tip,  the  ixorv 


be 


ing  cut  awa\-  from  one  of  its  sides  i 


n  such  a  maimer 


that  if  the  shaft  is  bent 


over  on  cnt-  side,  the  tij)  c(jm 


es 


off,  but  if  i)ressed  to  the  opposite  side,  the  whole  ivorv  tiji 


can  be  manipulated 


as  a  single  piece.      To  this  tip  the 


174 


IN  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


line  is  fastened  ihrougli   the  liole  in  the  ivory,  as  shown 
in  the  illnstration. 

The  line,  which  is  very  stronjr,  is  almost  always  a 
sinj^le  piece  of  walrns-hide,  obtained  b\-  niakinj^,  with 
i^rtat  care,  a  spiral  cnt  commencing  at  the  neck  and  end- 


llAKl'OUN-l  Il'S,  (A  IT,  YiiUK. 


inji^  near  the  hind  flippers.  This  strip,  frequently  one 
hundred  feet  in  lenj^th,  is  then  twisted  and  worked  in 
blubber  oil  until  perfectly  pliable.  The  line  is  neatly 
coiled  up  and  laid  on  a  sort  of  bracket  or  framework 
which  is  erected  immediately  in  front  of  the  kajaker,  the 
iiarpoon  restinj^;  in  leather  thouf^s  by  its  side.  To  the 
extremity  of  the  line  is  attached  a  fl  )at  composed  of  the 
entire  .skin  of  a  seal  dressed  and  worked  in  oil.  Every 
aperture  in  the  hide  is  carefully  closed  with  pluo;s  of 
ivor>-  (grooved  so  as  to  lu)ld  the  li<^ature  with  which  the 
skin  is  bound,  and  made  absolutely  air-  and  water-tii^^ht. 
(Jne,  however,  is  merely  stop])ed  with  a  wooden  plug,  so 
that  the  bag  may  be  readily  inflated.  This  bag  is  placed 
in  a  convenient  position  on  the  deck  of  the  kajak,  and  so 
arranged  that,  while  .safe  from  accidental  disturbance,  it 
can  be  released  instanth'. 

The  shaft  of  the  harpoon  is  more  carefully  constructed 
than  that  of  the  spear,  and  has  near  its  end  a  most  iuge- 


T 


7///;  r())\u;/.:  of  ufE  kitf. 

nions  tluowin^.  device.      This  consists  of  a  flat  cr  .a-arlv 
flat  p:ece  of  wood  about  two  feet  in  len^al.,  which  mav 


HARPOON  OPTH..:  n.sKo  X,t,VKS.  SHOW.V;    ,  „  „;  ■M,H,,W,N.  Ml,  K. 


be  called  a  handle  or  throwing,  piece.  In  the  end  of  this 
IS  a  hole,  into  which  fits  a  curved  pe^  of  iv<,rv  on  the 
shaft  of  the  harpoon,  while  the  other  end  is  so  carved  as 
to  fnruisli  a  comfortable  j^rrasp  for  the  hand. 

In  usiu.o:  this  implement  on  a  seal   the  kajaker  -rasps 
the  liarpoon  firmly  in  his  ri.c^ht  hand,  releases  his\e-d- 
skin  float,  and  with  his  left  hand  steadies  the  boat  bv 
means  of  tlic  ^.addle  placed  crosswise  on  the  surface  of 
the    water.     The    throwing  piece  is  held  firmh-  i„  the 
hand,  while  two  finj^ers  only  grasp  the  shaft.     Raisin<r 
the  arm,  the  weapon  is  Iiurled  with  remarkable  accuracy 
and  to  a  very  .ijreat  distance.     The  handle  becouKs  de^ 
tached  and  remains  grasped,  while  the  shaft  receives  the 
whole  momentum    imparted  through  the  ivorv  pin    bv 
which  it  is  connected;  the  speed  attained  is  such    that 


JIAKI'noN-Tfp^    I.ISKO. 

one  hundred  feet  is  not  an  extraordinarv  distance  at 
which  the  Eskimo  es.says  the  killing  of  a  seal.  The  line 
instantly  uncoils,  the  air-bag  follows,  and  the  animal   i^ 


V      ■ 


m  i 


I 


176 


/.\'  AKC'IIC  si-:.\s. 


almost  iiuariably  secured.  l)iviti<!^,  it  seeks  to  escape, 
but  its  first  moveiiK-nt  dislodj^res  the  shaft,  which,  with  its 
ivory  point,  floats  away  mdiarmed.  The  Ivskimo's  first 
object  is  to  secure  this  ])recious  portion  of  liis  worhlly 
possessions.      He  afterward  follows  the  track  left  bv  the 

air-ba,t^,  sure  that  his  prey 
cannot  escape.  The  seal, 
bein<4^  unable  to  drajj^  the 
ba<r  beneath  the  water,  is 
almost  certain  to  be  captured, 
provided  the  harpoon-head 
has  been  securely  fastened, 
thoujT^h  many  thrusts  with 
the  spear  may  be  necessary  to 
finally  despatch  the  animal. 
An  air-bai^  similar  to  the  one 
shown  in  the  i'lustration  is 
then  attached  to  the  carcass,  and  the  Eskimo  proceeds  to 
hunt  for  another  victim. 

The  circumstances  are  (piite  different  in  huntinji^  the 
walrus,  which,  when  attacked,  is  one  of  the  fiercest  of 
animals.  Instead  of  endeavoriu.i;  to  escape,  it  almost  in- 
variably turns  on  those  who  dare  to  molest  it.  A  kajak- 
cr  never  disturbs  one  except  when  it  is  near  the  edj^^e 
of  an  ice-floe,  for  the  infuriated  animal  would  destroy  the 
trail  boat  and  certainlv  kill  his  assailant  if  the  latter  did 
not  escape  to  a  more  stable  element.  Like  other  marine 
animals,  when  struck  by  a  harpoon  the  walrus  "sounds" 
or  dives  to  the  bottom.  The  kajaker  takes  this  o])portu- 
nity  to  reach  the  floe,  <;atherinj;-  on  his  way  the  harpoon- 


AlK-liAi;. 


'/■///■;  I ■()): !(;/■:  or  ////,•  a///.; 


^77 


^haft  and  air-ha.^;.     Arrived   on   the   floe,   lie   i)Iants    liis 
si)ear  firmly   in   the  ice,  and,  windin-  his  line  about  it, 
proceeds  to  "play"  the  walrns  exactly    as   a    scientific 
fishennan  i)lays  a  trout.     The  walrns  must  come  np  to 
breathe,  and  the  nntutored  savaoe  sees  to  it  (hat  it  can 
only  a-ise  within  strikin.<,r  distance  from  the  ice;  a  sax-a-e 
thrnst  from  a  spear  sends  it  down  a<,rain,  exhausted   by 
another  hleedin^r  wound  and  a  deimvation  of  air.     I*  inally 
it    dies,  eitlier   from    loss  of  blood   or  drownino-,  and  is 
drao;o;cd  out  with  infinite  labor  and  all  the  t,rratification 
that  a  triumph  of  intellect  over  brute  strenotli  can  afford, 
added  to  the  .satisfaction  of  the  cajnure  of  a  most  valuable 
prize  in  a  country  where  l)lubber,  hide,  ivor\-,  meat,  and 
bones  are  the  only  tliino;s  worth  livin.i^r  for. 

In  endeavorinn;  to  obtain  some  cf"  these  spears  and 
harpoons  the  natives  were  willino;  enou,i,di  to  let  us  ha\  e 
the  ivory  parts,  but  would  not  on  an\  account  part  with 
tlie  wooden  .shaft  unless  wood  was  j^nvcn  in  return. 
They  prized  wood  above  any  other  material,  and  the 
value  of  that  aiticle  was  rendered  evident  by  the  fact 
that  many  of  tlie  spear-.shafts  were  made  up  of  a  number  ' 
of  pieces  tio;htly  bound  tooether  to  make  a  sin.<;le  stick 
of  sufficient  len.i^th. 

Aniono^  other  interesting:  articles  obtained  from  these 
Cape  York  natives  were  a  bone  thimble,  .some  children's 
toys  made  of  ivory,  and  tokens  or  charms  worn  bv  the 
adults.  The  1)one  thiml)le  resembled  our  metal  one.s, 
and  had  evidently  been  made  for  .sewino-  witli  ordinary 
steel  needles  which  had  probablv  been  obtained  from 
some  visiting  whaler.     The  native  needle  is  a  thin  flat 


,     1. 


178 


/.v  .ih'c/ic  s/:.is. 

TDVS    MADK    ol'    IV<)I^V,  A(    IIAI.    >1/K. 


SIKliCl'.S. 


Ill  MAN    IIC.URKS. 


SEAL 


UUU. 


i^il 


UKAR. 


rill:   \()y.i<.r:  or  riir  Kiir:. 


'79 


piccf  f)!"  1)oiK'  ahoiK  lour  iiu-lifs  lonj;  and  an  ci.i^lilh  of  an 
inch  broad,  with  an  cvc  in  tlif  end.  In  nsin.-^  t)u-si-,  of 
course,  no  tliiniblc  is  necessary,  as  llicy  are  .i^raspcd  in 


m 


"  IllV./  SWV"  OK  "  |;||  I,  KiiVKKR." 

the   liand   and   thrust   through   the  skin  instead  of  l)einjr 
pushed  with  the  fuii^er. 

The  toys  were  small  pieces  of  ivorv  or  l)onc-,  an  inch 
or  two  h)n<;,  cut  to  resemble  a  seal,  bear,  doo,  or  even  a 
person. 

Another  toy  was  composed  of  a  Hat  i)iece  of  ivory 
about  three  inches  lon^^  with  two  holes  near  the  centre. 
A  leatlier  cord  was  ])asse(l  throujfh 
these  holes  and  the  ends  ^grasped 
in    eacli    liand;    on    twistinjj;^    the 
cord    and    then    pnllin<r    its    ends 
the    |)iece    of  ivory   was   made   to 
spin  around  rapidly,  first  one  way 
and     then     another,    j..st     as    do 
our    l)o\s    with    a     round     box-lid 
and    strinj^--    in    the    juvenile    im- 
])lement    comnionh'    known    as    a 
"buzz  saw."    A  more  complicated 
toy   consisted  of  a   ])iece  of  i\-or\- 
a])ont  four  inches  lon«4  and  an  inch  in  diameter,  with  a 


H'V     MiK      (IT    \M)-I1AI.L 

i;\.Mi. 


■ 


^, 


v.^. 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


k 


„^ 


S$ 


1.0 


I.I 


IM 


ti^ 


2.2 


"   1^    |2.0 


^  Ij^    ii 


L^   II  U    ■  1.6 


/] 


^ 


A 


Hiotographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


33  MIST  MAIN  STRICT 

WEBSTfR.N.Y.  MStO 

(716)  •73-4S03 


L17 


«^ 


A 


\ 


'<^. 


^'%\ 

VV 

V 


6^ 


? 


.4io     ) 


IM 


I  So 


Av  .lucr/c  s/:.is. 


J!- 


cavity  in  its  upper  extremity.  To  this  piece  was  attached, 
by  a  cord,  a  smaller  one,  pointed  atone  end  antl  binnt  at 
the  other.  (iraspiiiJL;  the  smaller  piece  in  the  hand,  the 
larjjer  one  was  thrown  in  the  air  and  an  attempt  made 
to  catch  the  ])oint  of  the  pin  in  the  hole  in  the  top. 
This,  of  course,  is  similar  to  our  common  cup-and-ball 


Sfc. 


H 


(  IIARM>. 


.P 


toy,  the  only  difference  bcin^  in  liavinji^  the  pointed  pin 
instead  of  a  ball. 

The  children  of  the  natives  in  Whale  Sound,  further 
north,  also  had  tovs  similar  to  those  obtained  bv  us  at 


Tin:  voy.\(.E  or  riir.  kite. 


i8i 


Cape    Vork.     Some  of  tlie  adults  wore  various  articles 
made  of  l)()ne  or  ivory  susi)en(led  by  a  cord  around  the 
neck.      One  of  these   was  rudely  shaped    like   a    man; 
others  consisted  of  the  teeth  of  various  animals;  while  one 
ol   the  most  elaborate  was  composed  of  a  ])icce  of  ivorv 
shaped  as  shown  in    the  accompanyin«r   illustratio!i,   a 
small  stone,  and  three  lar}>e  glass  beads.     These  neck- 
laces were  not  used  simply  as  ornaments,  but  rather  as 
charms,  for  their  owners  appeared  to  value  them  (piite 
hif^hly,  and   only   parted  with  them  reluctantly.     The 
Cai)e  Vork  natives  evidently  see  white  men  at  times,  as 
more  evidences  of  iron  and  wood  were  found  here  than 
further  north,  and  the  possession  of  an  old  and  rustv  j^un, 
stamjied  with  tlie  name  of  a  whale-shij)  to  which  it  had 
belon.i>::'d,  was  found  amonj^  their  effects  on  shore.     We 
j^ave  them  one  of  our  j;uns  and  some  ammunition  in  ex- 
chan.i>:c  for  a  kajak,  a  sled^re,  and  some  narwhal-horns. 
Needles,  knives,  and  l)its  of  iron  were  rapidly  exchanjL^ed 
for  ivory,  spears,  and  lesser  curios.     Wood  for  makinj,^ 
sledges  and  the    framework   of  their  .skin  boats  seemed 


S^le!s*?^5^ 


even  more  desired  \>\  them  than  iron,  and  the  small  frag- 
ments of  wood  of  which  many  of  their  implements  were 
constructed  showed  how  limited  was  their  supply  of  this 
necessary  article. 

The  last  thing  obtained  from  the  natives  in  the  way 
of  trading  was  a  young  Eskimo  dog.  This  was  evidently 
prized  very  highly  by  them,  and  was  only  parted  with 


1^! 

ill' 
II; 


ij 


•• 

■*  1 

'1 

) 

H 

Mt 

1 

m- 

Hj 

f}'. 

") 

!' 

'1 

H 

'^  ' 

'^ 

f  i 

^i 

iSi 


/.V  .lh'C77C  s/:.is. 


aflcr  imich  barltrin^.  ( )ne  of  the  natives  walked  out 
on  the  ice  t(j  the  ship,  hohlinj;  the  pnppx'  in  his  arms, 
then,  raisin»;  it  nj),  inchoated  tliat  it  was  sonicthinj^  vahi- 
able,  and  wanted  to  know  what  we  wonld  j^ive.  I  j^^ot 
one  of  the  saiU)rs  to  nej^otiate  for  it,  and  at  hist,  after  re- 
fnsin<i:  several  i)ieces  of  iron,  he  was  offered  a  broken  oar 
and  the  lid  of  a  soap-box;  tliis  indnced  hini  to  part  with 
it,  and  he  walkeil  off  in  trinniph  with  his  wooden  accpiisi- 
tions,  while  I  retained  ])osscssi(Mi  of  tlie  i>n]).  On  exam- 
ining; m\  ])ri/e  I  fonnd  him  to  Ix'  a  dirty  white,  wo(jlly 
little  animal  with  a  black  patch  on  the  side  of  his  head; 
he  was  abont  ten  or  twelve  inches  lon<;,  chnbby  and  fat, 
with  a  peaked  nose,  erect  ears,  and  bright  dark  e\es. 
He  had  sharj)  little  teeth,  and,  as  nearh'  as  we  conld 
estimate  his  ay;e.  was  abont  ei<jht  or  ten  weeks  old.  He 
was  stowed  below  with  the  sailors  in  the  forecastle,  and 
tliere  entertained  and  fed.  His  first  diet  was  condensed 
milk  and  oatmeal.  He  .soon  became  acqnainted  with  his 
snrronndinj^s,  and  bejjan  e.xcnrsions  on  his  own  acconnt. 
Directin;.^  his  attention  to  the  .steps  leading;  from  the  fore- 
castle np  to  the  deck,  it  was  not  Ion*;  before  he  sncceeded 
in  makinjj;  his  way  to  the  less  restricted  and  lighter 
regions  above. 

Arriving  on  deck,  a  fresh  field  was  open  for  his  inves- 
tigation. The  first  results  were  made  known  to  us  by 
seeing  him  come  ambling  back  toward  the  after  part  of 
the  ship,  where  .several  of  us  were  sitting,  his  nose  covered 
with  blood  and  his  woolly  bod\-  fnll  of  feathers.  A  .search 
was  immediately  instituted  to  discover  what  he  had  been 
iit.     The  cause  was  .soon  ^ound.     In  the  bow  of  the  ship 


'////•;  lov.ic/-:  or  ////■:  ki  ie. 


1H3 


wtTo  seen  llic  manj^lfjd  remains  of  several  hi^'^lily-pri/.cd 
speciiiieiis  of  birds  obtained  l>y  Professor  Holt.  On  dis- 
covering; his  less,  the  professor  was  somewhat  chaj^rined, 
but  bore  his  misfortune  with  philosophic  fortitude.    Hav- 


;  i 


"  Mil  KI  Y." 


inpf  once  tasted  l)lood,  Mickey  (for  so  the  Kskimo  called 
him,  and  we  did  likewise)  continued  to  pursue  his  san- 
<ifuinary  way;  indeed,  his  tastes  enlart^ed  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  he  soon  ate  iu)t  only  all  the  birds,  ducks,  and 
other  fresh  atiimal  food  that  he  could  ji^et  hold  of,  l)nt 
also  potatoes,  bread,  biscuits,  and,  in  fact,  an\thirij^  that 
he  could  swallow.  Thin.u;s  that  he  could  not  worry  down 
he  contented  himself  with  chewiui;.  Under  this  list 
came  such  articles  as  ])oots,  shoes,  clothinj;,  ropes,  and 
everythin.i(else  abovedecks  that  was  not  carefulh- guarded. 


If 


I-' : 


IS  I 


/.v  .ih\nc  s/:.is. 


The  actual  litnil  of  his  apjK-litt',  like  thai  of  the  I^skiino 
of  wlioiii  \vf  have  alreadv"  sjiokfii.  was  iK-scr  dffiniuly 
ascertained.  He  would  eal  and  eat  inilil  appauiilly 
double  his  ordinary  si/e,  and  still  ai>i)ear  to  he  as  fam- 
ished as  ever.  On  liie  voyaj^"  home  Mickey  well  earned 
his  i)assa<.,a'.  In  the  words  of  the  fatuous  ArtemusW  ird, 
he  was  an  "anioosiu  cuss."  His  j>layfulness  and  i^ood- 
nature  made  him  a  favorite  in  both  forecastle  and  cabin. 
The  ship's  cat  and  he  also  became  j^reat  friends,  and 
])la\ed  (piile  amicably  to^r^-tlier.  He  was  a  true  puppy 
through  and  throu}j;h,  aiul  thotiy;h  born  and  reared  in  a 
rej^Mon  of  ])erpetual  ice  and  snow,  was  just  as  ])layful  and 
interestinjj^  as  any  in  warmer  lauds.  He  increased  rapid- 
I\  in  size,  intcllij^ence,  and  activity,  and,  as  the  jx-t  of 
all,  received  an  anu)unt  of  attention  that  woidd  certainly 
have  been  lacking  had  he  remained  in  his  Arctic  home. 


cii.\pti<:r  XIII. 

AscivNPiNc.    Tin:  Ikon  Miuntains.     (iKi.i.M.wit  c.i.  \cii;i<s.— 

A(.\IN     ON     OIK     \V\\-     IlnMi:.       'I"|  I  l<i  Hi  ,1 1     \\.\I(,\li:     ClIAN 

Ni;i.      A    (ii.oKiots    SiNsicT.— Si;akciiin(.    iou    Ci»\i.    I)i;- 

I'OSITS. 

As  time  was  passing;  rapidh ,  wc  wt'ie  anxious  to  start 
on  our  way  soiitli,  and  only  awaitt-d  hcttc-r  wi-allar. 
The  last  day  of  our  slop  at  Cape  York  was  misty  and 
rainy.  Xt-vcrllKdess,  Professor  IleiljMin  di-terniined  to 
utilize  it  in  aseeiidinj^  what  are  known  as  tlu-  Iron  Moun- 
tains. On  the  map  they  are  desij^naled  as  mountains, 
thou.yh  it  is  very  doul)tful  whether  they  reaeh  to  an  alti- 
tude of  two  thousand  feet.  The\-  were  disco\cred  hv 
Ross.  He  ft)und  the  natives  in  the  possession  of  rudth- 
fashioued  iron  implements,  sonje  of  which  are  still  pre- 
served in  the  Mritish  Museum.  From  what  information 
he  could  leather  fn^n  the  natives  Ross  was  convinced 
that  they  themselves  had  manufactured  the  iron  from 
masses  found  in  the  mountains  l)ack  from  the  coast.  It 
seems  hijj^hly  improbable  that  this  primitive  race  should 
have  discovered  the  art  of  iron-makin,!:,^  but,  so  far,  it  has 
been  impossible  to  account  for  the  iron  on  an\  other 
theory;  for  there  is  no  known  communication  of  the 
dwellers  in  the  southern  ])art  of  f  lu'iuland  with  those 
above  Melville  Hay,  and  the  whalers  had  not,  at  the  time 
of  Ross's  visit,  commenced  to  make  the  perilous  vovage 


w^ 


¥ 


isr. 


/A'  .iKcr/c  s/:.is. 


to  Lancaster  Sound.  In  view  ot'  tin-  relic  of  the-  Hayes 
cxpcdit'on  alrcad)  referred  to.  which  had  been  preserved 
for  over  thirty  years,  it  did  not  seem  to  us  impossible 
that  the  iron  imj)lements  which  Captain  Ross  found  in 
their  possession  were  made  from  fraiijnients  of  iron  found 
on  wreckage  which  had  floated  to  their  shores  and  ])een 
battered  into  shape  by  the  abori)4;iucs.  On  account  of 
this  uncertainty  we  were  anxious  to  discover  whether 
au\  trace  of  iron  manufacture  existed,  and  the  inter- 
est was  redoubled  when,  in  a  skin  tent,  was  found  a 
hea\\  stone  evidently  containiniLj  iron.  While  it  proved 
to  be  oul\-  a  form  of  iron  pyrites  of  very  poor  (jualitv',  it 
still  seemed  to  indicate  the  presence  of  the  metal,  and 
the  natives,  when  ciuestioued  as  to  its  orij^in,  undoubt- 
edly ])ointed  to  the  \\\<^]\  land  back  from  the  coast.  In 
spite  of  the  cold,  drivin.n  rain  and  sleet-storm,  it  was 
determined  to  ascend  the  mountains.  The  j^eoloj^nst  and 
botanist  with  two  ICskimos  constituted  the  exploriui^ 
party,  the  rest  ])referrin<;  the  comfort  of  the  ship's  cabin 
rather  than  face  the  disaj^reeable  weather  outside, 

Reachiu}.;  the  shore  by  crossing  over  the  ice,  the  little 
party  rapidh'  ascended  a  small  knoll  which  marked  a 
spur  of  the  mountain,  and  be.ij^an  to  climb  over  irrejj^ular 
rt)cks  covered  with  a  black  and  slippery  lichen.  The 
ascent  soon  became  very  difficult,  <j^reat  boulders  block- 
iujj^  the  way  and  compellinir  detours  where  the  footinjj^ 
was  most  insecure.  The  storm  soon  changed  to  a  mix- 
ture of  snow  and  sleet  which  ra;^ed  with  all  the  fury  of  a 
gale  and  at  intervals  obscured  the  surroundin<js.  Occa- 
sional glimpses  of  the  ship,  lying  peacefully  at  anchor  in 


////■;  iDY.K./':  or  the  kiie 


187 


the  little  cove  far  helow,  served  as  a  j^tiide  to  their  course, 
and  as  j^reater  heii;lits  were  reached,  the  toi)S  of  three 
small  islands  which  laid  alxmt  ten  miles  of]'  the  coast, 
south  of  Cape  York,  came  into  view.  Coulrarv  to  the 
experience  at  McCormick  r.a\-,  the  ascent  became  easier 
as  the  top  was  neared,  not  so  much,  however,  from  the 
lessening  of  the  steep  j^rade  of  the  mountain  as  on  ac- 
count of  the  better  footinj;.  The  black  lichen  disap- 
peared, as  did  also  the  larj^a-  {.jlacier-worn  boulders,  and 
in  their  stead  were  hard  j^ranite  rocks  and  finer  jK.bbles. 
(iradualh'  almost  all  ve<;etation  disappeared,  and  so(»n 
a  comi)aratively  level  plain  of  stones  and  small  rocks 
was  reached,  eas\-  proj;ress  then  bein<;  made.  The 
heij^ht  indicated  b\-  the  aneroid  barometer  was  about 
.seventeen  hundred  feet.  \o  si^ii  of  iron  or  iron-bear- 
inir  rock  was  observed.  The  stones  were  of  cver\  vari- 
ct\-,  from  slate  and  saiulstone  tcj  the  hardest  flint  and 
fjrauitc,  and  had  evidently  been  swei)t  to  their  position 
by  jrlacier  action  alone.  Near  the  crest  was  found  a 
small  cairn.  It  seemed  to  have  betn  built  by  human 
hands,  but  whether  ci\'ili/.ed  or  savat^e  it  was  impossible 
to  determine.  In  spite  of  the  storm,  which  now  had- 
redoubled  in  •.  ioleuce,  the  two  white  men  pressed  on 
alone,  for  the  Eskimos  had  refused  to  continue  uj)  to  the 
crest,  and  had  seemed  to  indicate  by  their  cries  and  mo- 
tions that  it  was  dangerous  to  do  so.  They  never  ven- 
ture into  the  interior,  nor  even  visit  the  ice  cap,  as  to 
them  it  is  the  abiding-place  of  e\il  spirits  and  demons, 
and  inspires  them  with  terror.  The  ice  cap,  which  did 
not  differ  in  any  particular,  as  far  as  could  be  seen,  from 


\ 


I.S8 


/.\"    iA(  y/i  .s/;. /.v. 


hi' 


r  ' 


that  at  McC»»nnick  liav,  was  soon  n-ncluMl.  and  from  it 
two  j^lacicrs  wire  stcn  prujfctinj;  into  tin-  s«.a. 

Thcnivthod  of  the  formation  of  tlu' ( irctiihind  j^hiciirs 
was  here  achnirahly  iUnstratcd.  As  far  as  tlu-  t\f  toiild 
reach,  to  the  north,  the  north-east,  and  north-west,  lay 
an  ahnosl  level  sheet  of  ice,  the  i>rodnct  of  eenlnries  of 
winters.  This  eo\ered  all  the  natnral  ine(|nalities  of  the 
j^ronnd,  and  str\ed  as  the  j^reat  sonree  of  snjjply  for  all 
the  j^laciers  of  the  eoasl.  It  is  onh  wlure  sj)nrs  of  land 
rnii  to  the  se.i.  similar  to  the  one  that  was  ascended,  that 
the  nnderlyini;  rock  is  visible,  and  e\en  this  is  j^artially 
covered  l)\-  the  dehris  left  1)\'  the  retreatinj:;  ice  sheet.  In 
reality,  all  (ireenland  ma\  he  said  to  be  one  j^reat  j.jlacier, 
and  the  thotisands  of  so-called  }.;;laciers,  man\-  of  which 
are  twenty  or  more  miles  across  their  face,  are  merely 
prolonj^ations  to  the  water's  ed.ije  of  this  enormous  mass 
of  ice  and  snow. 

It  was  useless  to  jness  onward,  for  the  sleet  obscnred 
almost  all  natnral  fe.ittires,  and  a  retreat  was  made  down 
what  had  evidently  been  an  ancient  j.;lacier-bed.  l)nt  was 
now  covered  with  a  heavy  j»;rowth  of  moss  and  other  xcs.;;- 
ctation.  Here  the  botanist  fonnd  a  rich  assortment  of 
l)lants  as  a  reward  for  his  labors  and  the  disaj^reeable 
weather  that  had  been  cncoinitered.  Larj^e  patches  of 
red  snow  were  crossed,  and  finalK'  the  beach  was  attained 
near  the  spnr,  on  the  opposite  side  of  which  the  ship  was 
anchored.  Here  was  fotnid  an  immense  natnral  harbor, 
the  cliffs  risin<^  peri»endicnlarly  to  a  j^reat  heis^ht,  f«»rminsf 
a  natnral  basin  with  a  contracted  entrance.  The  spnr  of 
land  was  cros.sed  with  .some  difticidt)-,  and  the  ship  reached 


(it 


////•;  loy.K,/-:  o/'  ////•;  a///:. 


189 


atU-r  nearly  four  h(»ius  of  cvuistaiil  hut  iiitfrc.stin<4  t(ji]. 
Tlir  ohjict  of  I  Ik-  trip,  tlir  (lisidvi-ry  of  iron  <»r  iror.-lK-ar- 
inj;^  rocks,  was  not  acconiplislud,  hnl  a  far  nion-  satisfac- 
tory knowkdj^c  ol  tlu'  natnral  confij^Miralion  of  the  j^ronnd 
was  obtained  than  would  have  l)een  possible  1)\  ol)ser\- 
inj;  it  from  the  <lecks  of  tlie  ship;  a  (piantity  of  valnaMe 
material  was  also  j^athered. 

Soon  after  the  return  of  the  mountain  i)art\  the  shij) 
was  prepared  to  start.  The  foj^.  which  had  been  almost 
constant  durinij-  our  stav  of  a  dav  and  a  half,  at  last  li<!ht- 
ened,  and  now  and  then,  throniih  occasional  rifts  in  the 
clouds,  o])en  water  could  be  seen  to  the  southward.  The 
few  lin«;erinn  natives  were  told  to  leave  the  vessel,  and 
it  was  onl\  as  the  ice-anchors  were  broUL^ht  aboard  that 
the  last  one  reluctantly  wended  his  way  over  the  side. 
"  Sar-pook,  sar-pook  "  (]H()od-b\-,  i^ood-byi,  the\-  cried, 
as  we  slowly  lel'l  their  dreary  home,  mysterious  pectjile 
of  a  nnsterions  land. 

In  sharp  contrast  to  the  \ou^  strtijf<,de  northward 
tlnoujL^di  Melville  Hav  was  our  southern  trip  over  the 
same  waters.  On  the  northern  journey  we  had  encoun- 
tered a  \ast  aiul  almost  continuous  sheet  of  ice,  which 
seemed  as  permanent  .is  the  eternal  hills.  On  the  .south- 
ern trip  we  foun<l  open  water,  with  onl\-  ;in  occasional 
iceber*,^  to  remind  us  of  the  j^reat  floes  ajid  ice  masses  we 
had  met  with  a  few  weeks  before.  Constant  (o^  and 
head  winds,  however,  delayed  the  vessel,  and  our  projr- 
ress  was  particularly  slow.  We  ran  well  out  from  land, 
but  still  in  \  iew  of  the  hij^hcr  headlands.  The  Horse's 
Head,  a  most  peculiarly  shaped  point  of  land,  and  Red 


i 


I 


ll)0 


/.V  .lA'C/VC  S7:.IS. 


Ilt-ail,  anotlRT  coiispictioiis  point,  wc-rc-  llii.-  only  ones 
(IcIhiittK  Rco^^ni/L'd  nntil  Dtvil's  Tlminl)  was  reached. 
W'f  had  hojK'd  to  land  and  examine  the  latter  curious 
formation,  but  no  attempt  was  made  on  account  of  the 
stormincss  of  the  weather.  rpernavik  was  passed  at 
midnij^ht;  we  did  not  stop,  hut  continued  on  «)ur  way 
down  the  coast. 

The  ne.xt  day  found  the  atmosijhere  still  fnick,  with 
a  heavy  sea  running;,  and  the  ship  was  hov.-  to  all  the 
afternoon  in  the  neif^hborhood  of  Kanj^tok  Is,  and,  which 
is  west  of  vSwartehuk  Peninsula.  This  «>;reat  and  almost 
tmknown  bod\  of  land  lies  north  of  Disko  Island.  The 
impossibility  of  making;  pro<i:ress  aj^iiinst  the  heav\  wind 
and  sea  tempted  Cajnain  Pike  to  enter  a  fiord  on  the 
vSwartehuk  in  search  of  easy  anchoraj^e.  The  fiord  is  un- 
marked on  the  map  except  by  dotted  lines,  and  it  was 
a<jreed  that  we  would  name  it  "  Pike  Fiord  "  in  honor  of 
our  veteran  C(Mnmander.  Its  entrance  is  about  two  miles 
wide  and  protected  from  the  sea  by  a  small  island  wdiich 
divides  it  into  two  passaj^es;  throu<;h  either  of  tliese  a 
ship  can  easily  enter.  Inside  of  this  natural  harbor  is  a 
wide,  rouf^hly  irre<;;ilar  bay,  protected  on  both  sides  by 
hi<.:[h  mountains,  to  whose  bleak,  dark  sides  the  jieninsula 
owes  its  name.  Here  we  found  a  5^o(kI  anchora<j;e  in 
twenty  fathoms  of  water,  the  bottom  beinj^  mud  mixed 
with  sand.  The  wind  still  blew  fiercely,  but  as  the  ship 
was  now  safe,  we  determined  to  remain  until  it  moder- 
ated. Some  went  ashore,  and  were  well  repaid  for  the 
rather  rou^h  passage  across  the  bay.  A  river  was  found, 
emptying  into  the  upper  end  of  the  fiord;  here  a  landing 


E'  il  '■'. 


///A    I  <>):  !(./■:  (,/.-   I  Iff.    i^-,ii: 


igt 


was  cfTeclcl  uith.Mit  .liffK-uIty,  and  ,  uuunil  Lxploiati.^:! 
l)«.'Kan. 

FI.nvcTs  Mivw  „„  cvcrvsi.lc-  in  tlu-  Ma.utM  ahuii.I.uKv 
^'•M.    iH-amy.      TIkiv   wnv   cAi,U.,il    sjnns  ..f  .oa„u.  ..nd 
IitintcTs  aii-I   iialiiralists  aliki-  tnwl-ul  i^^{  in  "caivli   ..f 
spccinuns.      TIr.   lau.l    n.s.-  ratlur  alMupilv.  an.!  u  iihin 
lialfaniik-oltlu.  iKaH,   llu'  river  was  tonud  to  I,.  ,  nsh- 
111,^  ihroMoI,  a  narrow,  rnw-c-.l  j^crMc-.  niakin.t;  a  scrirs  of 
cascades  of  surpassing  ht-anlv  as  it  k.;,,,,,!  i,,,ni  r..d<   t.. 
lock  and  (111  into  a  po..]  JKiKalli.      HaM.    •  >cvn  al  (;.»!- 
liavn  soini- salnion-lront  wliich   had  Ixx-ii  cau-lii  l.v  (Ir. 
nativL-s,  om-  of  .,nr  companions  i-ss  v  .d  \\x  .fi.shii,....      'I'lir 
water  was  icy  cold,  and  no  si.^n  of  aniina!  ..r  vcotial.k- 
IMC  was  to  he  seen  in  its  dcpllis;   l;ou■e^.^  Jr.  uhippe.l  the 
stream  industriously  with  various  flies  and  wen  iIr-  na- 
tive m(.s«ptito.  which   was  there  a  laro,-  an.l   livelv  pvst. 
l)Ut  without  siKH-ess. 

I-arlhcr  up  the  river  a-ain  widened,  and  a  lar.oe  plain, 
lyiu-  hetween  the  frownino  nR.uulains.  appeared.      IIi,v 
also  a   rich   harvest  of  flowers  was  -athered.  and  everv 
once  in  a  while  a  heautiftd   plarmi.^au  would   he  started. 
Several  of  the  latter  were  shot.      Thex  seenR-<l  xerv  hold.    ' 
and  did   not  hesitate  to  scold  the  hunter  vi-orouslv  f,,r 
intrudino  on  their  <lomain,  showin-  that  the\   were  sel- 
dom if  ever  disturhed  l,y  man.      A  dili-eut  but  uuavail- 
in«:  search  was  made  for  their  nests,  and  a  few  cvevs  of 
youncr  Ijjrds   were  seen  al   a   distance;    thev   were   fidlv 
fledj^ed  and  much  more  timi.l  than  the  older  birds.    Two 
of  the  hunters  ascended  the  mountain,  but  found  iR)thiu,<; 
of  consequence  to  reward  thc.r  toil.    Mr.  Kenealv  and  nu" 


i9« 


AV  .luc/'/c  s/:.is. 


m 


r 


Sflfwciit  for  sonic  distaiici'  alonn;  tlii'  short',  fmdiii;^'^  an 
abandoned  lint  and  i^tttiii,!^  a  distinct  \ii'\v  of  a  i^lacicr 
which,  as  nsnal,  closed  tlu'  end  of  the  fiord.  No  sij^nsof 
the  recent  visit  of  ICskinios  were  present.  .\  (kep  jjlooin 
pervaded  this  nnfretineiiled  spol,  which  neither  the  birds 
nor  the  (lowers  relieved.  The  liii^h  clills  weie  almost 
black  in  hue,  either  from  the  natural  color  of  the  rocks 
or  the  dark  lichens,  and  a  few  ^listenin<^  white  icebergs 
served  only  to  intensif\'  the  deserted  appearance  of  the 
land. 

vSonie  time  dnrinj^  the  nij^ht  the  weather  moderated, 
and,  makinij^  our  way  out  of  Pike's  iMord  b\  tin.-  south- 
iru  entrance,  our  course  was  shajH'd  for  the  WaijL^atc 
Channel,  which  was  reached  on  the  niorniu;;  of  the  Sth 
oi  .\u.i;iist.  We  entered  this  channel,  instead  of  sailinjn; 
outside,  in  order  to  e.\aiiiiiie  the  shores  for  esideiices  of 
coal  deposits  which  were  said  to  exist  there.  'I'liis  sheet 
of  water  separates  Disko  Island  from  the  mainland,  and 
is  about  se\en  ir.iles  wide.  At  one  time  it  was  niidoubt- 
e<lly  a  fiord,  beini;  cut  tlirou.t;li  to  Disko  W.w  at  a  later 
period  by  _i;lacier  action,  tlieri'b\-  forming  the  largest 
known  island  in  (ireeiiland.  To  the  north  of  the  island, 
and  e.\tendin<4  from  tlu'  mainland  far  into  the  .sea,  is  a 
neck  of  land  known  as  the  Nonr.s«)ok  Peninsula.  Hoth 
sides  of  the  Wai^ate  Channel  present  the  same  ijeoi^raph- 
ical  outline,  here  and  there  small  liords  and  indentations 
characterizinj^  its  shores.  Ilii^li  mountains  tower  above 
the  calm  and  placid  waters,  and  the  silei:ce  is  only 
disturbed  by  falling.;  frat^nieiits  of  i^laciers.  The  outline 
of  the   luonntains   is   much  more  broken  and    irre<;ular 


/"///■;    /V))-. /f,/,-    oi:    I  III:   Kill.: 


'93 


than  is  that  of  the  mountains  of  nioiv  northern  (mvcii- 
hind,  and  the  peaks  and  pinnaeles  add  -really  to  its  gran- 
deur. The  lofty  niountaiu-toi)s,  partly  eovered  with 
snow,  seen  in  the  beautiful,  clear  weather  and  warm  Arc- 
tie  sunliuhi,  more  resembled  Alpine  scenery  than  is  usual 
in  the  l<rioi,l  /one.  ( )u  all  sides  the  manv  and  beauti- 
ful iceber-s,  rellectiuo  thf  rays  of  the  sun,  seemed  to  vie 
with  the  mountains  in  their  .^or^eotis  s|)lendor. 

All  (lav  Ion-    the   Kit,    steamed  slowly  throu,<,di   this 
enchanlin.i,^  scenery,  but   it  was  onlv  late  at   niuhi  that 
the   most   beautiful   and    intereslino   pjienonjcnon  of  all 
presented    itself  to  view.      At    this  sta-e  of  our  v(.vaoe 
the  sun  in  its  declination  had  perceptibly  diminished  the 
li^dit  of  niohi,  and  though   not   vet   below  the  hori/.<.n, 
still  descciided  enouuh   to  droj)  behind  the  IumI,  nnmn- 
tainsofthe  Xoursook  Peninsula,  thereby  makin.ir  a  most 
Xloricms  sunset.      The  brioht  rays  illumined  the  sky  be 
hind  the  mountains,  formin.^  a  background  of  the  most 
brilliant  colorings  and  delicate,   chanuiuu   i(,„es.      The 
fad  in  oof  the  sunliolil  continued   but  a  short  time,  and 
the  sun,  aj^ain  risin-  hiolu.,-,  o'erlopped  the  mountains, 
and   the  dawn  of  the  next  nioriiino  was  upon  us.     Tho 
gradual  nieri^iuo  of  the  lovelv  sunsrt  with  the  splendor 
of  the  cominj;  morn  comi^leled   ihis  most  charming  of 
daNs  in  Cireeidand. 

The  fine  weather,  which  continued  the  next  dav, 
.'idded  to  our  enjoyment.  We  ha.l  had  almost  a  week 
of  foj.  before  reaching  the  Wai-ate,  but  there  were  few 
re-rets  now  for  the  delay,  as.  had  we  experienced  the 
same  weather  inside  the  channel  as  had  fallen  to  our  lot 


ifj4 


/.\'  .UxL//c  s/:.is. 


11 


In 


on  tlu'  open  si-a,  iIk'  i)cant\'  of  onr  sniroun(Hn,q;s  wonld 
have  been  shut  oui  from  \ic\v.  The-  scfiicry  of  tlu- 
nionntains,  alllionjL;!!  not  so  imposing;;  as  tliat  of  the 
]>rc\i(jns  >h\\ ,  was  hc'i!:;hlene(l  by  the  increased  nnnil)cr 
and  niaj^nificence  of  the  icebergs.  As  the  sliip  wonld 
sh)\vly  wend  its  way  thron.t;h  the  narrow  channels  be- 
tween them  (so  ch)se  to|L>ether  were  the\  ),  we  conld  see 
many  miniature  cascades  fallinj;  oxer  the  sides.  The 
warm  sun,  meltinin  the  snow  on  their  lops,  formed  small 
lakes  or  reservoirs,  the  overflow  of  wiiich,  tricklinj^down, 


ii^:.S.,^a*»-   .■  •.n  'fi.-i:- . 

__£jt^^S^^ 

i 

BH 

tf^v^^^w*^^H 

B^Shbi 

1 

^^^^^^^^S 

W           ^^                                 '"^^W^^mH 

^^sS^^^S^Sb^B^ssi^ 

IlKKl'.Ri;    IN    WM'iVli;    (  IIANM-.I. 


fell  into  the  sea.  The  course  of  the  A'/A'  was  now 
directed  close  alon.q;  the  eastern  shores  of  Disko  Island, 
in  order  that  a  o;ood  view  could  be  had  of  its  rocky  .sides. 
At  times,  when  its  «;eolooical  formation  indicated  the 
possible  presence  of  coal,  f)ne  of  the  ship's  boats  wonld 
take  the  geoloj^ist  ashore  for  a  closer  ins])ection;  but  no 


////•-•  i())-.i(./-:  or  Jill.:  i^rii: 


'95 


cnrboniferous    fossils  were  found.      Soon    tlie  sliorc-line 
bcoan  to  asstinu-  a  more  level  aspect,  and  a  Ion-    slielv- 
inj4-  beacli  was  discovered  dead  aliead.      As  the  water  was 
noticed  to  be  slioah-n- rapidly  the  ship's  head  was  turned 
out  into  the  channel;  but  it  was  too  late:  she  had  hardly 
answered  her  helm  before  we  -rounded.      The  enoines 
were  at  once  put  hard  astern,  but  to  no  purpose:  \\\^ /sitf 
was  fast  acrround.      The  lead-line  showed  less  than  three 
fathoms  of  water  and  a  bottom  of  hard  white  sand.    Here 
we  were,   bexond   the   reach  of  any  assistance,   with   so 
little  coal  and   ballast  that   even  were  it  possible  to  re- 
move it,  the  ship  would  only  have  been  li-htcned  a  few 
inches.      Our  .situation   was   indeed  a  critical  one.    and 
preparations  were  immediateh-  made  to  work  the  vessel 
off.      An   anchor  with   a   Ion-  hawser  was   taken   in   a 
whale-boat  and  dro])ped  .some  distance  astern;  the  other 
extremity  bein-  attached  to  t^e  steam-winch  on  the  ves- 
sel, an  effort  was  made,  by  windin-  „p  the  li„e,  to  pull 
the  ship  into  deei)er  water,  but  after  several   futile  at- 
tempts this  was  abandoned.      We  were  truly   fast,   and 
our  only  hope  of  escape   lay  in   the   possibilitv  that  we 
had  -rounded  at  low  water,   and   the  risin-  tide  would 
float  us  off.      The  mate  was  sent  ashore  to  ascertain  the 
condition  of  the  tide,  and  he  returned  with  the  -rateful 
information  thai  it  was  n  couple  of  feet  below  hi-h-water 
mark;  .so  we  waited    for  its   risin-   before   makin-  any 
further  effort.s.      This  was   the  first  mi.shap  that  had  oc- 
curred to  ns  on  our  return   trij),  and  some  of  the  more 
superstitious  .sailors  attributed  it  U)  the  presence  of  the 
E.skimo  skulls  which   had  been  obtained  further  north. 


i> 


196 


AV   .lA'Cr/C  s/;.is. 


n 


While  waitiu^^,  \vc  observed,  from  the  deck  of  the  ship, 
some  smoke  arisinj^  from  a  hut  situated  on  a  point  of 
land  opposite  to  where  we  had  grounded.  In  a  few 
minutes  several  natives  were  seen  cominj^  down  to  the 
beach,  havinj;  evidently  made  the  smoke  to  attract  our 
attention  anr'  let  us  know  of  their  presence;  launchinj^ 
their  kajaks  and  j^ettinj;  in,  they  paddled  rapidly  toward 
us,  and  were  soon  aboard.  We  found  them  to  be  natives 
from  the  settlement  of  Godhavn  who  were  there  on  a 
huntinj;  expedition.  Hy  signs  they  gave  us  to  under- 
stand that  the  tide  would  soon  rise  and  float  the  ship; 
this  aided  in  relieving  our  anxiety  somewhat  on  that 
score.  They  greedily  devoured  some  food  that  was  given 
them,  and  afterward,  on  being  shown  a  piece  of  coal,  in- 
dicated that  they  knew  what  it  was  and  where  some 
could  be  found.  As  w.  had  considerable  time  yet  to 
wait  for  the  rising  tide,  a  few  of  us  went  ashore,  accom- 
panied by  one  of  the  natives  who  had  signified  his  will- 
ingness to  act  as  guide  and  show  us  where  the  deposit 
was  located.  Professor  Heilprin  and  the  native  started 
out  to  search  for  it,  while  the  rest  of  us  stayed  along  the 
shore  and  awaited  their  return.  The  land  at  this  point 
rose  gradually  from  the  water's  edge  for  a  distance  of 
about  three  miles,  the  beach  being  composed  of  sand 
and  gravel.  As  one  advanced  inland  the  surface  became 
rougher,  being  covered  with  rocks  and  boulders.  We 
found  some  ptarmigan  which  were  quite  tame  and  ran 
slowly  away  as  they  were  approached.  A  number  of 
foxes  also  were  seen,  but  they  were  more  shy,  and  dis- 
appeared in  the  crevices  and  holes  in  the  rocks  as  we  drew 


THE    lOYAi.E  or   Tin-:  KITE 


•97 


near.  In  two  or  three  hours  the  professor  returned,  stat- 
in^r  that  his  investi<;atio)i  had  not  been  verv  satisfactory. 
He  had  travelled  two  or  three  miles  inland  and  foinid 
some  coal,  but  it  was  of  so  poor  a  character,  in  such 
small  amounts,  and  so  inaccessible  as  to  render  the  de- 
posit of  little  value.  By  this  time  we  saw  that  the  crew 
had  succeeded  in  ^t\.\.\\\^  the  vessel  off,  and  she  was 
steam in«r  to  deeper  waters;  so  we  o;ot  aboard,  and  the 
Kite  once  more  started  on  her  vovac^e. 


f 


CHAPTKk    XIV. 

At  (ioDM  \v\  onci-:  .M<tKi:. — .Micti.kkitiis.    Tin;  I,\ni>  ov  Dkso 

I.ATIiiN,    -'I'AKINC.  ON  JJALI.AST. — (  >N    11 1 1".  Ol'KN  SKA  .       NlCIlT 

I{i;(,iNS.— ( )i"i"  Till';    Coast   oi'    I,aiikaih)1<.     Apphoaciiinc, 
.St.  John's —<  )iu   Rkcki'TIon. — A   Kicviicw  oi"  thic  Tkii'. 

STj'.AMIX(i  around  tlit'  south-eastern  extreniit\  of 
Disko  Island,  we  entered  the  fiord  on  whieh  C.odhavn 
is  situated.  As  we  were  nearinj.;  the  settlement  Ins])ector 
Andersen  ])assed  us  in  his  lari^e  boat,  rowed  by  eitjht  or 
tin  natives.  He  was  leavinj^  (iodhavu  to  make  his 
annual  visit  to  the  adjacent  settlements,  which  were  under 
his  supervision.  He  waved  us  a  friendly  farewell,  but 
<lid  not  stoj).  and  in  the  early  mornin.t^  of  An.i^nst  loth 
the  A'/'/r  once  more  dropped  anchor  in  the  harbor  of  (iod- 
havu. Mr.  Carslens  soon  came  out  to  the  ship  and 
heartih'  welcomed  us.  He  told  us  that  the  lonj.:;  south- 
west storm  which  we  had  encountered,  followed  1)\- 
hea\\'  winds,  had  also  been  experienced  iit  (iodhavu,  and 
that  he  and  his  associates  had  both  feared  that  it  would 
be  too  much  for  the  AV/r,  and  that  they  would  never  see 
us  a<(ain. 

The  natives  too  came  aboard,  but,  after  our  e.\j)eri- 
ence.s  with  the  aboriginal  race  further  north,  they  scarcely 
interested  us,  and  the  few  trifles  thev  had  to  .sell  brou^jht 
them  but  little  return. 

li»8 


!  iil^Bi 


|<'!^^I 


////•;   I  ()).!(./■:  ()/■•  nil.  kiii:. 


199 


TIk'  Kill  was  forced  to  laki  011  ballast  at  this  i)ort,  tor 
the  c<)nsmni)tioM  of  coal  and  tlu-  rcino\al  of  tJK- 1  fitcls  of 
the  lV'ar\-  ])arly  had  so  Hi^httiKd  lur  as  to  rciukr  her 
almost  iiinnatia<^fa])k-  in  a  liiad  wind  and  sta.  A  nnni- 
JR-r  of  the  nati\cs  were  enj^aj^ed  to  leather  ballast  for  ns, 
and  it  was  evident,  from  the  leisnrely  manner  in  which 
thi'S-  set  abont  it,  that  we  wonld  have  to  remain  at  least 
two  da\s  in  ])ort.  This  news  was.  howexiT,  welcome  to 
all,  for  after  our  lont;  isolation  e\en  dodhavn  looked  like 
home,  and  we  were  content  to  enjoy  the  ])leasanl  com- 
])anio'.iship  of  the  officials.  The  naturalists  were  soon  on 
their  collectinj^  tours,  some  to  the  Red  River,  and  some 
to  the  island  of  (iodhavn.  Professor  Ikilprin,  accom- 
panied  by    Mr.    Ashhurst,  hired  a  lar<;e  native  boat  or 


I MIAk    OK    \Vii\I.\N  >    lloAl. 


umiak,  with  its  crew  of  seven  Eskimos,  and  started  for 
Uvifak,  a  desolate  piece  of  land  some  twent\-four  miles 


2rKi 


/X  ARCTIC  SEAS. 


from  (i(>(lliavn,  where  was  said  to  be  llie  remains  of  a 
meteorite.  This  so-called  meteorite  consists  of  an  ;i<:['^re- 
}4;ation  of  inimerous  masses  of  nearly  pnre  iron  which  are 
fonnd  imbedded  in  the  basaltic  rock.  The  larfjest  fra<^- 
nicnt  was  removed  several  years  aj^o  b\-  a  special  e.vpedi- 
ti(»n  sent  ont  for  the  pnrpose  b\-  the  Swedish  j^overnment. 
Tlie  whole  had  been  estimated  to  ha\e  weighed  46,2(X) 
])otnuls.  Sexeral  smaller  fraj^ments  were  known  t(j  exist, 
and  it  was  th(ju<^dit  hi<;hl\-  desirable  to  recover  some  of 
these  if  it  was  i)ossible  to  do  so. 

'i'he  jonrney  was  lon|Lj  and  tedions,  for  the  rndely-c  )  - 
strncted  nmiak  was  shnv,  and,  in  spite  of  the  hard  and 
steady  work  of  the  natives,  it  was  eij^ht  honrs  before  the 
place  was  reached.  Here  was  fonnd  a  lar^^e  meteoric 
frat^ment  (now  in  the  Mnsenm  of  the  Academy  of  Xatnral 
.Sciences  I,  and  a  little  searchinj^  discovered  several  smaller 
stones.  They  were  all  irrei^nlarly-rounded  ma.sses  hav- 
inj^  marks  of  fnsion  on  their  e.\terior,  and  were  composed 
almost  entirely  of  native  iron.  These  facts  seemed  to 
point  directly  to  a  celestial  ori,y;in.  Nevertheless,  the 
ijeoloj^ist  fonnd  reason  to  think  that  they  were  not  trne 
meteorites,  bnt  were  terrestrial  formations  which  had 
been  thrown  or  carried  to  the  location  in  which  thev 
were  fonnd  by  volcanic  or  other  ])henoniena.  In  any 
case,  the  discovery  was  a  most  important  one,  and  the 
specimens  were  re»^arded  as  bein,i>^  amon.u:  the  most  inter- 
esting^ and  valnable  of  all  leathered  in  the  conrse  of  the 


voya,y;e. 


The   evening;    shades    were    becomin,Lj   more   e\ident 
now,  and  we  <>;reeted  with    deli^^ht  the  first  star  which 


A    HI  1     iiK    i;KI,I-.M.AMi    ^(  I.M  KY.       M-K'i    I>I   \M>. 


If. 


rm:  r<)]:i(./-:  or  ////■:  Kiri-:. 


203 


\vf  iiad  still  I'ur  inoir  lliaii  a  iiionlli;  it  was  sliiniiij;  ovtT 
tin.'  Iiioh  hills  of  Disko.  TIu'  luw  moon  also  was  faiiillv 
visible  in  iIk-  ckar  ixfiiitii^  sk\-.  Wf  wirt-  <^\m\  Jo  li^lii 
tilt-  lamps  a-aiii  in  \\\c  dim  littk-  cabin,  and  laiv  wi- 
Kallicrcd  about  Mr.  Caisliiis  wliilf  lu-  imparted  to  11s  his 
kiiowlcd,i;v  of  C.rcriiland  history  and  cnsioms.  His  fund 
of  information  was  vi-rv  extcnsivf,  and  he  was  able  to  in- 
form ns  on  man\  points  not  ivfenvd  to  in  tlie  books, 
Mnc-h  of  what  was  related  has  aliv.idy  bieii  told  in  de- 
scribiiiLj  the  social  life  and  folk-lore  of  Greenland.  He 
added,  however,  many  points  in  relation  to  t!ie  historxof 
(Greenland  which  ma\-  briefly  be  reconnteil  here. 

Greenland,  "The  Land  of  Desolation,"  as  it  was  well 
calle<l  by  Hayes,  was  discovered  by  I^ric  the  Red.  ICric 
was  a  tnrbnlent  nol)lenian  who,  banished  from  Denmark, 
and  later  from  Icelaiul,  sailed  westward  to  the  coast  of 
(ircenlaiid,  to  which  he  <;ave  its  somewhat  decepti\e 
title.  It  is  related  in  the  old  chronicles  that  he  <jave  it 
that  name  with  the  direct  intention  to  deceive  ami  de- 
fraud, hopintv  that  "a  fair  name"  ini<;ht  tempt  colonists 
to  settle.  The  voyagers  all  re.i(retted  that  the  exigencies 
of  the  trip  prevented  our  stoppin.t;-  at  I''riecii-ick.«<haab,  ■ 
where  the  remains  of  old  lyric's  buildin<,^s  are  still  .stand- 
iii,^-,  after  a  lapse  of  over  nine  linndred  \  ears;  tor  tlie  vov- 
ajre  of  Erie  was  made  about  the  \car  ()S6.  The  stor^•  of 
the  settlement  lie  made  has  often  been  told.  The  poor 
people  wdiom  lie  i)ersnaded  to  settle  in  his  "fair  land" 
lived  for  a  time  peacefully  and  with  .some  comfort;  but 
there  were  many  drawb,>,cks  to  their  welfare.  Tlie\-  had 
to  depend    almost  entirely  for   supplies  of  certain    ma- 


' 


204 


A\'  .Ux'cnc  s/:.is. 


tcrials,  notably  wood  and  iron,  on  vessels  wliicli,  for  sev- 
eral years,  came  from  Iceland.  ( )n  one  occasion,  one  or 
two  years  liavinj^  passed  without  supplies  hein^^sent,  the 
relief  vessel  found  only  their  bones.  They  were  the  first 
victims  of  the  l*)skim(js,  and,  as  far  as  known,  the  last. 
What  had  hajipeued  was  unknown,  but  it  is  supposed 
that  the  Skrallers  or  Howlers,  as  the  natives  were  called, 
from  the  horrid  noise  they  made  at  ni<i:ht,  had  slanj;htered 
them  after  their  numbers  had  been  reduced  by  famine. 
The  land,  after  this,  la\-  idle  and  unoccupied  b\-  white  in- 
habitants for  hundreds  of  years,  but  at  last  was  settled 
a<;ain,  ori<;inally  as  a  penal  colony,  and  later,  since  tin? 
year  1774,  as  the  ])ersonal  property  of  the  Crown  of  Den- 
mark. This  it  still  is,  and  "  trespas.sers  are  forbidden." 
We  learned  this  after  wc  had  committed  the  crime  of  land- 
in}4  on  the  northern  trip,  but  as  the  odence  was  onl\-  a 
venial  one,  no  punishment  was  inflicted  on  us.  Denmark 
claims  jurisdiction  over  (Greenland  up  to  the  73d  parallel 
of  north  latitude.  Above  that  it  is  no  man's  land,  and, 
indeed,  any  nation  mij^ht  easily  o^ain  Denmark's  consent 
to  an  abdication  of  its  riq^hts  to  southern  Greenland,  for 
we  were  informed,  on  highly  trustworth}-  authority,  that 
it  has  ceased  to  be  a  source  of  income,  and  were  it  not  for 
the  fostering  care  which  Denmark  has  exercised  over  the 
natives  of  Greenland,  there  is  little  doubt  but  they  would 
soon  become  extinct.  The  Eskimo  population  last  year 
numbered  ten  thousand  and  thirty,  a  decrease  of  seven 
from  the  year  before;  and  a  steady  diminution  continues 
in  spite  of  the  systematic  care  and  support  which  the 
government  so  generously  extends  to  them.     It  is  prob- 


rm:  iov.k.i.:  or  im:  kite 


205 


nl)lf  that  then-  arc-  hut  tVw  I-skimos  north  of  Mdville 
I5a\.      Captain    Ross  nianv    M-.-irs   a^'o   calc.ilalcd   their 
nunihcr  at  hnt  tu,.  hundred,  and  the-  estimates  of  Arctic 
voya«:c'rs  since  his  time  have  not  exceecUd  it.      We  saw 
not  over  one  hunched  at  hoth  Whale  Sound  an.l  Cape 
York,  and   hut  one  other   native  settlement   is   known. 
This  is  a  small  villa-e  called  hUah,  situated. .n  Ilart^tene 
I5ay,  ahont  one  de-ree  Inrther  north  than  Whale  Sound. 
This  place  we  did  not  visit.      It  was  here  that   Haves  es^ 
tahlished  his  winter  <,uarters  in  isr,,,.      It  has  hut  few  in- 
habitants, and  even  if  they  were  added  to  those  that   we 
S.UV,  the  total  number  woul.l  still  fall  far  sh.,rt  of  the  es- 
tiniale  of  Captain  Ross.     C.reenland  is  under  the  ccmtrol 
of  a  .oovernment  hoard  in  Denmark  known  as  the  Kone.i,- 
li.^c  C.ronlandske  Handle.       It  is  divided  into    two    in- 
spectorates, north  and  .south,  divided  by  the  parallel  of 
C7°  40'  lu^rth  latitude.     The  inspector  of  the  former  re- 
sides in  C.odhavn,  and  the  latter  in  C.odhaab.      They  are 
responsible  to  the  home  «overnnient.     The  inspectorates 
are  divided  into  a  number  of  districts,  each  havin^r  jt.s 
own  governor  and  assistant  governor,  who  are  resp(,udble 
to  the  in.spector  in  whose  jurisdiction  the  district  is  situ-  ' 
ated.      In  the  Xorthern  r;reeidand  districts,  besides  the 
inspector,  governor,  and  assistant  governor,  there  are  no 
white  people  except  a  doctor  who  lives  at  Jakobshavn. 
In  Southern  Greenland  there  are  two  more  phvsicians 
one  living  at  Godthaale,  and  the  other  at  Julianehaab.' 
After  five  years  of  duty  they  are  allowed  to  enter  the 
royal  service  in   Denmark  as  district  physician.s. 

All  this  and  much  more  Mr.  Carstens  narrated  to  us 


2o6 


/.V  .lh'C/7C  .S7-;  IS. 


'^^ 


as  \vc  chatted  toyjcthcr  in  the  little  cabin  )f  the  AV/c.  In 
our  turn,  we  told  him  of  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  at 
Cape  York,  whom  he  had  never  seen.  We  asked  him 
whether  there  were  any  relics  left  near  Disko  of  the 
primeval  ICskimos.  He  told  ns  of  an  old  graveyard 
sitnated  across  the  l)a\'  from  (iodhavn,  which  was  long 
abandoned,  but  where  he  said  aboriginal  tombs,  exactly 
as  we  had  described,  still  existed.  The  idea  of  discover- 
ing other  relics  immediately  inspired  me,  and,  launch- 
ing a  boat,  with  only  Mr.  Kenealy  as  my  companion,  I 
rowed  across  the  narrow  bay  in  the  midnight  twilight 
to  the  locality  which  Mr.  Carstens  had  indicated.  With 
some  little  difficulty  the  place  was  at  last  found,  and 
tomb  after  tomb  opened,  with  the  result  of  unearthing 
(piite  a  collection  of  skulls.  Xo  votive  offerings  such  a.s 
we  liad  found  at  Whale  vSound  were  discovered,  though 
earnestly  sought  for.  This  was  accouuLcd  for,  perhaps, 
by  the  fact  that  the  tombs  were  ancient  and  their  con- 
tents might  have  deca\ed  awa\-.  Ciathering  together  a 
number  of  skulls,  we  returned  to  the  ship  in  the  early 
morning,  just  ])efore  the  return  of  Professor  Heilprin  and 
Mr.  Ashhurst  from  their  long  and  tiresome  journey  of 
some  sixteen  hours'  duration. 

All  hands  were  weary  when,  at  about  3  A.  M.,  we  went 
to  l)ed,  and  it  was  not  until  late  the  next  day  tliat  the 
customar\'  activity  prevailed  among  us.  The  work  of 
loading  ballast  for  the  ship  still  continued,  but  in  the 
most  leisureh-  fashion.  A  boat  l)eiug  sent  to  the  beach, 
the  natives  would  gather  blocks  of  stone,  carrying  them 
one  by  one  until  a  load  was  procured.     These  in  turn 


Tin-:  \-oy.\(,i-:  or  rm-:  kite. 


207 


were  passed  up  the  ship's  side  and  chx.pped  carcfullv  into 
the  h.old. 

It  was  our  last  day  at  Godhavn,  and,  as  it  turned  out, 
also  our  last  in  (Greenland,  and  all  were  anxious  to  make 
the  I'.iost  of  it.     I  saw  no  opportunitx-  to  add  to  the  col- 
lection already  made,  so  a  consideration  of  a  more  prac- 
tical nature  than  that  which  inspired  the  others  m'oxcd 
me.      I  had  observed  that  the  breeches  made  for  me  at 
Cape  York  by  the  Eskimo  women  were  not  pliable,  like 
those  worn  by  my  comrades,  which   had  been  nuuh;  at 
Godhavn.     They  were  stiff  and  un,<,uiinly,  and,  when  not 
in  use,  like  stovepipes  in  rioidit>-.     A  conversation  with 
one  of  the  Jvskimos  who  spoke  a  little  broken  En.<,dish, 
and  the  translation  of  whose  unpronounceable  name  was 
Raven,   revealed   to  me  the  cause:    they  had    not  been 
chewed.     It  appears  that  il  is  necessary  to  carefully  chew 
the  seal-skin  to  render  it  sufficiently  pliable.      This  was 
unwelcome  news,  for  I  knew  of  no  one  who  would  care 
to  chew  the  garments,  fdled  as  they  were  with  rancid  oil. 
But  Mr.  Raven,  in  consideration  of  a  certain  amount  of 
plu^;  tobacco,   kindly  offered   to  mana,<re  all   that,    and, 
escortinj^-  me  to  the  house,  introduced  Mrs.  Ra\en  to  me, 
with   the  brief  direction  to  he-  (at  least  so  I  supjiose)  to 
chew  the  .£,^arments  thorou<rhly.      I  remained  to  witness 
the  operation,  which  she  be.<,ran  with  that  cheerful  alac- 
rity that  characteri/es  the  Eskimo  woman  when  directed 
by  her  lord,  but  the  sijjht  was  not  pleasant,  and   I    left 
the  o-arments  to  her  tender  care.      I  must  confess  that 
she  did   the  work   in  the  most  skilful  manner,  and  also 
added  a  couple  of  buttons,  so  that  I  was  no  longer  com- 


14 


2(jS 


IN  .lA'CV/C  S7:.IS. 


i:. 

t'e' 


pelled  to  tie  lliem  loj^ctlicr  with  thon^^s.  Mr.  Raven 
lii'ouf^lit  them  back  in  the  afternoon  in  a  most  satisfac- 
tory condition,  and  I  paid  him  the  tobacco  agreed  npon. 
I  suggested  that  liis  wife  slionld  have  something  to  ccjm- 
pensate  her,  instead  of  paying  him,  hnt  he  did  not  seem 
to  imderstand  me,  and  the  snbject  was  dropped. 

At  I  A.  M.  on  Angnst  I2lh  steam  was  made,  and  we 
left  Godlia\-n.  All  were  on  deck,  and  we  took  a  last  look 
at  the  place  which  will  alwax's  remain  the  n.iost  plen.sant 
in  onr  memories  of  Greenland.  A  solitary  star  shone 
brightly  over  the  village.  By  its  brillianc)'  we  knew  it 
to  be  the  planet  Jupiter,  as  the  night  was  not  yet  dark 
enough  to  show  stars  of  lesser  magnitude.  A  few  min- 
utes sufficed  to  take  us  out  of  the  harbor  and  place  us 
once  more  on  the  oi)en  sea.  The  weather  continued  good 
all  day,  and  we  made  an  excellent  run.  Karly  the  next 
da\'  a  strong  wind  sprang  up,  which  soon  d  veloped  into 
a  gale.  The  sea  ran  mountains  high,  and  our  ship  was 
tossed  a])out  so  violently  as  t(^  be  almost  unmanageable. 
It  sent  all  but  those  who  were  actually  employed  in 
working  the  vessel  to  their  berths  for  safety.  It  was 
almost  impossible  to  move  around  without  great  danger, 
and  we  all  kept  prett\-  (juiet  as  long  as  tlie  blow  lasted. 
After  some  hours  the  wind  began  to  subside,  leaving  a 
heavy  swell  which  pitched  the  \essel  about  as  if  it  were 
a  c\u\).  The  weather  was  haz\-,  w'th  rain  at  intervals, 
which,  much  to  the  relief  of  all,  gradually  calmed  the 
sea.  The  chief  engineer,  Mr.  Jardine,  reported  that  only 
enough  coal  remained  to  take  us  direct  to  St.  John's,  .so 
we  were  forced  to  forego  the  pleasure  of  visiting  several 


THE  ]■()): !(,/■:  or  -////,•  a//e. 


20() 


point.^  in  South  Greenland,  as  had  l)ccii  our  desire.     The 
weather  now  became  clear  and  bright,  with  a  fair  wind. 
Early  in  the  niornin<,r  a  brio;  was  si<rhted  sailino   south, 
about  ten  miles  to  the  westward  of  us.     All  went  en  deck 
to  .cret  a  look  at  her.      It  was  remarkable  that  what   in 
other  waters  would  be  such  a  triflin.t;  event,  in  these  un- 
travelled  seas  commanded  all  our  attention.      I'or  nearly 
three  months,  with  the  exception  of  those  at  Godhavn  and 
Upernavik,  we  had  not  seen  a  ship  nor  anv  si^'i  of  civil- 
ized man.      The  strancrer  was  a  trim  little  cra'.t,  not  far 
enoucrh  .south  to  belono;  to  the  line  which  carries  creolite 
from  Ivij^tnk  to  Philadelphia,  and  too  far  north  to  be  in 
the  Danish  trade  with  the  North  Cireeuland  settlements. 
All   these  latter  had  left  (iodhavn,  on   their  voyaoe  to 
Dennuuk,  loner  before  our  own  dej)anure.     We  did  not 
expect  to  meet  any  vessels,  because  it  was  .so  late  in  the 
sea.son   that  .sailin^r  ships  would   hardly  venture  so   far 
north  for  fear  of  bein^-  canoht  in  the  ice.     We  had  our- 
selves taken  the  last  mail  from  the  North  Greenland  .set- 
tlements, the  (governor  brinoinnr  it  off  to  us  the  nioht  we 
left  Godhavn,  and  statiu.i,^  that  it  was  the  onlv  opportu- 
nity he  would    have  of  scndin,^;  any  until  next  sea.son. 
The  bri(r  was  too  far  off  our  course  to  speak    her,   and 
as  it  would   have  taken   too  much  of  our  now  valuable 
coal  to  have  .sailed  within  communicatin.i.,'^  distance,  she 
remained  as  mysterious  as  when  first  .seen,  and  the  cau.se 
of  the  only  excitement  of  the  dav. 

On  Sunday,  Aun:ust  i6th,  the  wind  was  dead  ahead, 
and  stormy  enough  to  cause  considerable  sea,  which  made 
the  distance  run  much  le.ss  than  on  the  previous  day. 


2ia 


/.v  .lA'c/vc  s/:.is. 


Darkness  at  this  time  l)e<;aii  about  9  i".  m.,  and  the  liglits 
in  onr  cabin  and  abont  the  ship  were  now  used,  after 
many  ./eeks  of  continuous  daylight.  We  had  had  a  si^lit 
of  the  moon  for  the  jxist  three  nights,  and  the  numerous 
stars  visil)le  in  the  lieavens  gave  the  sky  more  the  ap- 
pearance of  that  of  the  Temperate  Zone.  The  North 
Star  was  \ery  bright,  and  seemed  ahnost  directly  over- 
head. The  strong  head  wind  and  high  seas  continued 
until  morning,  and  it  was  necessary  to  put  the  .ship  three 
points  ofTher  course  to  ease  her  up.  Twenty-four  hours 
later  the  sun  was  again  shining,  and  made  everything 
look  brighter.  The  sea  had  gone  down,  and  early  in  the 
evening  the  moon,  which  was  now  full,  was  .seen  in  all 
its  beaut\ .  At  10  p.  m.  we  were  treated  to  the  magnif- 
icent spectacle  of  the  aurora  borealis  as  seen  in  these 
Northern  waters.  No  conception  of  its  brilliancy  can  be 
had  at  home,  and  it  will  be  remembered  as  one  of  the 
many  strange  sights  this  interesting  voyage  afforded 
us.  The  next  day  the  weather  was  again  fine,  and  the 
sea  as  still  and  calm  as  the  proverbial  mill-pond.  A 
light  favorable  wind  came  up  toward  night,  when  all 
sails  were  set  and  our  ship  sped  along  at  a  more  rapid 
pace  than  for  some  time.  About  8  v.  m.  a  large  steamer 
in  the  east  was  seen  to  lie  bearing  down  upon  us.  As  it 
evidently  wished  to  speak  us,  the  A7/c  was  stopped  and  its 
approach  awaited.  It  proved  to  be  the  Carthdcc^  of  Scot- 
land, and  we  foinid  that  they  wished  to  know  the  course 
to  Indian  Harbor,  Labrador.  This  information  was 
given  them  b\-  Captain  Pike,  and  after  exchanging  sa- 
lutes we  renewed  our  respective  courses. 


THE  ro ):!(,/■:  ni-  the  rite 


211 


On  Au_t;nst  20th  we  reached  Lal)ra(lor  and  skirted  the 
coast.  The  hind  was  hij^h,  rocky,  and  in  places  appeared 
ojreen  from  the  presence  of  ve<^etation.  It  looked  more 
hospitaljle  than  the  more  barren  shores  of  (ireenland. 
Hnndreds  of  fishing-boats  were  now  seen  everywhere, 
and  signs  of  civilized  man  greeted  ns  once  more.  Large 
icebergs  were  still  floating  here  and  there,  th.c  only 
reminder  of  onr  late  trials  and  dangers.  The  steam- 
ship PantlicVy  of  St.  John's,  was  spoken.  This  vessel 
was  interesting  as  being  the  one  that  had  taken  Dr. 
Hayes'  expedition  as  far  as  Melville  Hay,  years  ago.  It 
had  been  rebnilt  since  then,  and  was  qnite  a  trim  little 
craft.  On  the  night  of  Augnst  20th  we  were  abeam  of 
Belle  Isle.  On  the  following  day  head  winds  were  en- 
countered, with  rain.  The  ship,  being  so  lightened,  was 
now  quit*  hard  to  drive  through  the  heav\'  se;is,  and  the 
pitching  and  tossing  commenced  once  more. 

On  August  22d  the  sun,  shining  brighth',  showed  the 
green  and  picturesque  .shores  of  Newfoundland.  The 
transformation  from  the  icy  North  to  a  land  again  inhab- 
ited by  our  own  kind  was  indeed  striking,  and  heart- 
ily appreciated  by  all.  The  sea  was  quiet,  and  we  soon 
arrived  in  sight  of  the  harbor  of  St.  John's,  and  were 
safe  once  more. 

It  was  on  a  beautiful  vSunday  morning  that  the  voyage 
of  the  Kite  came  to  an  end.  All  hands  were  busy  mak- 
ing themselves  presentable  for  cixilized  society,  and  the 
transformations  that  were  accomplished  by  some  of  the 
members  were  truly  astonishing,  .\bout  9  c>'cl(K"k  we 
came  in  sight  of  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  of  St.  John\s. 


212 


Av  .lA'cr/c  s/:.is. 


Our  arrival  was  si,i,Miallc(l  at  once  from  the  top  of  the 
<^rcat  cliff  wliich  marks  one  side  of  the  entrance.  Its 
crest  was  surnionnted  by  a  fort  and  si<;nal  station,  and 
from  it  sii^nal  flajL^s  were  flown  in  succession,  which,  beini^ 
interjiretcd,  meant  "A  steamer  cominj^  in;"  "  iJowrin.t; 
lirothers;"  "the  A'/A.-"  we  were  reported.  These  si<r- 
nals  are  ])lainl\'  visible  at  vSt.  John's,  and  the  crew  were 
overjo\ed  that  their  families  would  soon  know  of  their 
.safe  return  from   the  Arctic  retjions. 

It  took  nearly  an  hour  to  reach  dock,  for  the  entrance 
to  vSt.  John's  is  narrow  and  tortuous.  Throuj^h  lofty 
cliffs  the  passai^e  wends  its  way  to  a  splendid  harbor, 
second  to  none  in  the  world,  and  it  is  not  until  the  last 
bend  is  passed  that  one  sees  any  si<i^ns  of  a  large  city  or 
even  civilization.  Finally,  buildin.ii^s  appeared,  and  in 
a  moment  the  whole  city,  with  its  blocks  of  houses 
raui^ed  in  terraces  of  streets,  was  in  full  view.  The  nar- 
row channel  widened  to  a  j^reat  bay,  on  the  shores 
of  which  laid  the  town.  To  the  right  was  vSignal  Hill, 
from  which  the  notice  of  our  arrival  had  been  .sent;  to 
the  left  rose  another  great  ])romontory,  crowned  by  the 
arsenal  and  fort  with  wdiich  England  protects  this  import- 
ant port;  and,  immediately  in  front,  the  city  of  vSt.  John's, 
with  ihe  high  cathedral  towers  dominating  the  town. 

Our  signal  had  evidently  been  seen,  for  the  towns- 
people flocked  to  the  wharf,  and,  before  the  ship  could  be 
made  fast,  overwhelmed  us  with  inquiries;  but,  being 
tired  of  sea-life,  we  were  anxious  only  for  rest  and  a  com- 
fortable hotel.  This  was  tbund  without  diflficnlty  on  the 
main  business  street  of  the   city,  after  sending  away  a 


////•;  I ■()): !(,/■:  (>/■■  ////•;  a///;. 


21^ 


few  tclco-rams  to  assure   the    folks  at  lioiiie  of  our  safe 
arrival. 

We  were  compelled   to   remain  at  vSt.  John's  lor  five 
days,  as  no  steamer  left  until  the  follo\vin,i,r  I<Vi(lav,  when 
the  Xoni  Si()/t,i//,  of  the  Allan  Line,  (lejjarted  for  I'.alti- 
niore.      The    time   was  spent  ver\-  pleasantly,   however, 
for  we  found  numerous  friends  anions  the  honest  Xew- 
foundlanders.      Mr.  Molloy,  the  American  consul  at  the 
port,  entertained  us  with  the   greatest  cordiality.     Mrs. 
Molloy  was  etinally  hospitable,  and  insisted  on  the  whole 
party  being  invited  to  their  house.      Not  less  courteous 
was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Harve\-,  the  historian  of  Xewfound- 
land,  who  v/as  kind  enough  to  ])ersonally  introduce  us  to 
the  governor,  vSir  Terance  X.  O'lirien,   at   the  C.overn- 
nient   House.       His  Kxcellency  received   us  pleasantlv, 
and   invited   the  whole   party  to  the   reception  which  it 
was   jiroposed    to  give   to   Sir  Ambrose   vShea,   a   former 
governor  of  X'ewfonndland.  who  was  expected  to  arrive 
at   St.  John's  on   the  Xora  Sco/ia//,  en  roiilc  to  his  new- 
post  at  the  Bermudas. 

Besides  these  acts  of  distinguished  courtes\-,  we  were 
the  recipients  of  marked  attention  from  other  citizens  of 
vSt.  John's.  vSeveral  of  us  visited  the  British  war-ship 
/iii/cra/d,  which  lay  in  the  harbor,  and  were  n:ost  hos- 
pitably received  by  the  captain,  Sir.  IJaldwin  \V.  Walker, 
Bart.,  and  the  other  officers  of  the  shi]). 

On  Friday  morning  we  left  vSt.  John's  on  the  Xora 
Sco/iaii,  and  after  an  uneventful  voyage — sa\-e  for  a  short 
stop  at  Halifax,  X.  S. — arrived  at  Baltimore,  whence  we 
proceeded  to  Philadelphia,  where  we  arrived  on  vSeptem- 


214 


/\  .lA'cY/f  .s/;. /.v. 


bt-r  Sill,  thus  compk'tinj^  our  voya<;c  in  a  little  more-  thaji 
three  months. 

To  review  the  trip:  the  object  which  moved  Lieuten- 
ant Peary  was  a  most  laudable  one,  and  if  successful  will 
add  jj^reatly  to  our  knowled<^e  of  a  most  obscure  (puirter 
of  the  world;  on  the  part  of  the  returning  members  of 
the  expedition,  they  brouj^ht  home,  besides  much  \alu- 
able  information,  man\'  specimens  of  the  flora  and  fauna 
of  Cireenland.  Such  collections,  whether  anthropolo<ri- 
cal,  zoolo<^ical,  botanical,  or  geoloj^ical,  are  always  of 
benefit  to  the  world's  fund  of  knowled<^c. 

This  is  the  main  aim  of  all  explorations,  and  the  mem- 
"bers  of  the  expedition  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  of 
their  contribution.  There  were  more  than  seven  tons  of 
material  brouj^^ht  back,  a  lars^e  proportion  of  which  is 
now  in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  ready  for  the 
use  of  future  students  of  the  various  features  of  Arc- 
tic life.  The  skulls  and  other  anthropolocrical  material 
which  we  were  fortunate  enouj^h  to  obtain  have  proved  a 
most  useful  addition  to  the  fine  collection  now  in  the 
Academy's  museum.  Not  less  valuable  were  tiie  addi- 
tions made  in  ornitholo«i;y,  in  invertebrate  zoology,  in  en- 
tomology, and  in  botany.  Kver\-  .separate  object,  whether 
an  Eskimo  child's  toy  or  a  meteoric  mass,  has  its  value 
in  the  eyes  o*"  the  true  scientist,  who  knows  where  each 
belongs  in  the  great  economy  of  nature. 

It  was  not  until  the  voyage  was  nearly  over  that  we 
fully  comprehended  what  we  had  done  and  wdiat  w"e  had 
aimed  to  do.  The  realization  of  the  dangers  so  recently 
passed  seemed  to  increase  as  we  neared  home  and  had 


U 


TUi:   \o V.K.I-:  OF  riih:  khe. 


215 


more  time  for  reflection.     The  tales  of  Kane  and  others 
now  came  back   to  memory    with    such    vivichiess    and 
realism    that    tlie  inia<,Mnation  needed  not  to    ])e   called 
npon  for  scenes  and  places;  indeed,  so  strange  and  differ- 
ent had  been  the  Arctic  land  and   its    people  that    one 
mi.t,dit  have  asked  whether  it  was  still  onr  own  world. 
The  inconceivable  immensity  of  the  j^lacier.s,  the  mere 
fracrments  of  which  make  gij^anticand  lofty  iceberj^s;  the 
midni<rht  snn,  shininj,^  on  the  illimitable  ice    ca();    the 
strancre  and  cnrions  forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  ; 
the  inten.se  .solitnde,  nnbroken  save  by  the  heavv  rum- 
bling- and  thnndering  of  collapsing  bergs,  which  at  times, 
thongh    many    miles   away,    wonld   make  almost  tidal- 
waves  by  their  sndden  displacement  of  the  water,  and 
very  perceptibly  can.se  onr  ship  to  roll  and  toss  on  the 
tronbled  .sea,— again  and  again  passed  in  review  before 
lis  as  we  .sat  lazily  dreaming  on  the  snnlit  decks  on  the 
pa.ssage  homeward.     The  heavy  gale  we  enconntered  on 
leaving  Whale  Sonnd,  where  we  were  bnt  a  mile  or  two 
from  a  lee  .shore,  with  crashing  bergs  everywhere  aronnd 
us   and    the   weather  .so  thick  that  not  a  .ship's  length 
conld  be  seen  from  onr  deck;  the  grounding  of  onr  .ship 
in  Waigate  Channel,  and  onr    numerous   escapes  from 
being  wrecked  by  the  ice,— all  cau.sed  us  to  realize  how 
clcse  wt  had  been  to  having  met  the  fate  of  so  many 
others  who  had  ventured  to  the  frozen  North. 


FIMS. 


